THE RAILWAY TO CATLINS.

Clutha Leader, 20 September 1878, Page 4

THE RAILWAY TO CATLINS.

In the appendix to the Public Works Statement is a " Report on railway surveys in the Middle Island, by the Engineer in Chief " (Mr Blair). Regarding the branch line to Catlins, he says : —

Several routes have been examined for this line, but the choice lies between two, one leaving the main line at Inverfciel, on the southern bank of the Clutha, and the other at Stirling station, near the northern bank. The Invertiel line runs in a tolerably straight course past the east end of Telford's Bush to the foot of the Omaru Valley, where it joins the Stirling line, coming direct across Inch Clutha. From this point onwards there is only one line : follows the Omaru Valley to "Hay's Pre-emptive," thence through M'Donald's Saddle to the Owake Valley and Catlins River. The length of the Inverfciel line is about 17ij miles, and of the Stirling' one I 83?. The curves and gradients are good, but the works, which include about twenty chains of tunnelling, are somewhat heavy. The estimate for the Invertiel line complete is L 95,000. The Stirling one will cost much the same, with the addition of the bridges over tlie'two branches of the Clutha ; . if built at a low level in the ordinary way these will cost about LIO,OOO, but if the one over the Koua branch is constructed so as not- to interrupt the river traffic the item of bridging will require to be increased to about L 30,000. The main object in adopting the Stirling line is to accommodate the traffic on Inch Clutha ; it will also save about four miles in the distance from Dunedin to the Bluff should the Catlins River branch be extended along the coast as a through line. The Catlins River branch, after running through a rich agricultural country, terminates in one of the best timbered districts in Otago, consequently the traffic will be considerable — it also forms a link in the through communication above alluded to.

Regarding the line Edendale to Fort rose, Mr Blair says : —

Three routes have been examined for this "branch, going more or less into the country north of the Mataura, but preference is given to the one next the river. It starts from the Edendale station on the main line, and for five miles follows generally the course of the Fortrose road. After crossing the Wyndham it diverges southwards and keeps along the "Wyndham and Mataura Talleys to the lower end of Mataura Island, after which it follows 'the foot of the terraces to the terminus at Fortrose. The total length of the line above, described is about -23 miles. A saving of about three or four miles might be effected by at once running southwards from Edendale to a crossing near the ninth mile, but this would leave out a portion of the closely-settled country on the Otago side of the Mataura. Possibly a modification of the two alternatives will be found the most suitable.

The ak'gnments and gradients of the Edendale and Fortrose branch are particularly good, and the works are very light, the approximate estimate for the whole line (including equipments) being LIIO,OOO.

The Fovtrose branch, up to within five miles of the coast, is well located ; but I do not think it should go any further in that direction, aa the coxmtry immediately surrounding Toitoes Harbour is fairly accommodated by water carriage. The line should turn off at the point named, and run up the Wamak Valley, five or six miles into the heart of the Toi-toes district. In addition to opening up more country, the latter portion will probably come in as a link in a through line to the Clutha. I believe that a branch railway from some point or other on the main line to the Toitoes district is required, and that it would amply repay ita cost. In connection with the Catlins River and Fortrose branches, and another branch that the Provincial Government of Otago intended to make into the Seaward Bush from Invercargill, it is a question whether the interests of the country would not be best served by making instead one through loop line from Green-, hills on the Bluff railway, via Toitoes and Catlins River, to the Clutha. Such a line would open up a great extent of rich agricultural and timber country. It would afford coinmuriication ■ in both directions to the districts traversed, and shorten thie

journey from Dimedin and Christchurch to the Bluff by fifteen? or twenty miles. So far as can be ascertained without a regular survey there are no serious engineering difficulties in. the way of its construction ; the only doubtful part is about twenty miles in the Tautuku Forest, not yet explored.

If this idea can be entertained at present, the section from Greenhills to Toitoes should be substituted for the EderidaleToitoes branch : they are exactly the same length, and the former is somewhat easier to make, and much superior in alignment and levels ; indeed it might be made perfectly straight and level for nearly twenty miles. The ebjection to the Greenhills line as against the Edendale is that it leaves out a better-settled country in the Wyndham district than is brought in at Oteramika, and that, under any circumstance, a connection will ultimately be required between the two lines along the Mataura Valley, so the Edendale branch does not become useless when* the other is constructed. If it is not necessary to make the Seaward Bush line, these objections will probably hold good, and the Edendale branch should be constructed first ; but, if the former is considered a necessity, the Greenhills-Toitoes line is decidedly preferable to separate branches at Seaward Bush and Edendale.