Council urged to help

Press, 3 May 1985, Page 5

Council urged to help

The Christchurch City Council has been urged to ask the Railway Corporation to reconsider the proposed abandonment of the Styx railway deviation. Mr R. J. Walsham, of Glandovey Road, has written to the council seeking help in persuading the Railway Corporation to continue with the deviation plan. The corporation has written to local councils proposing to abandon the scheme to resite the Main North railway line, and asking for comment. The City Council has al-

ready discussed the deviation abandonment because the land needed for the new line could also be used for extending the airport. The council decided at its last meeting to inform the Railways Corporation of an interest in the land, which i t believed should be reclassified for airport purposes. The council also called for a report by the City Planner on the effects of the proposed abandonemnt. The report will be presented at the June meeting of the airport and electricity committee.

Mr Walshan said in his letter that the elimination of 14 railway crossings in a built-up area alone deserved very serious consideration of the merits of proceeding with the deviation. Christchurch was one of the few remaining big cities with a main trunk railway line running through a heavily built-up area, he said. The town-planning committee, which received the letter, referred it to the airport committee for consideration with the City Planner’s report. |