No backlog of freight across Cook Strait

Press, 30 December 1978, Page 3

No backlog of freight across Cook Strait

PA Wellington, In spite of the cancellation' of two sailings of Cook Strait ferries this week, there is no great backlog of freight. The Railways chief traffic manager (Mr B. B. McKeown) said yesterday that the two ferries which broke down — the Aratika on Wednesday and the Aranui on Thursday — were not scheduled to take rail freight. This was to enable more I cars to be carried. The freight ferry Ara- j hanga had her annual survey cancelled yesterday to help carry more cars across Cook Strait, allowing more room for cargo in the passenger ferries. The Arahanga's survey will now be done between; January 9 and 22, but some J

maintenance will be done in the meantime. Mr McKeown said that the holiday period was the time when rail freight movements were at their lowest. Few freight carriers could be reached in Wellington yesterday, but Freight Road Services and Alltrans reported that the small amount of freight which had been consigned had not been held up by the disruption of sailings. ! Engineers worked through- ; out Thursday night to repair j one of the four engines of ’ the Aranui which burnt out at the Wellington Heads that evening. The Aranui’s next scheduled sailing was at 10 a.tn. ■yesterday. Her late departure caused her to be an (hour late on her return to j Wellington yesterday afternoon.