RAILWAY PLANS

Dominion, Volume 31, Issue 242, 9 July 1938, Page 12

RAILWAY PLANS

Waterloo-Upper Hutt Duplication

START OF SECTION

Track Formation Work At Heretaunga

Formation work for the duplication of tin? railroad between Silverstream and Upper Hutt has begun as a preliminary, subject to the consent of Cabinet, to the laying of a double track and the connecting up of the WaiTtrrtipa line at Waterloo. The- Upper Hutt station has been advanced to grade four, three below city status, and it is understood that the ultimate plan is for an island station there enabling passengers to leave and enter trains from both sides of a main platform. The whole scheme will link up witb the Rimutaka tunnel project. There has been a Government proclamation for 12 years over :t length of land sufficient for the normal railway track from Waterloo, where the present branch line now ends, to the western part of Taita. This would bring the railroad in line with a low-lying gully between the hills at Taita which lead's through to Stokes Valley. To connect the line with this valley would probably require no tunnelling, but only a cut presenting no difficulty to the modern machinery used on this class of job. Effect On Present Line. The carrying out of tills scheme will eliminate the present Silverstream railway bridge at the north end of Taita gorge and convert tlie present main Wellington-Wairarapa line from Lower Hutt onward into a suburban line. A new station, called Andrews. lias been erected at short distance from tlie old Pitcaithly’s station on tlie present line in the Western Hutt area. This, it is understood, will Serve as the terminus for tlie Western Hutt line when the major duplication scheme carrying the line from Waterloo through to Silverstream on the eastern side is. carried out in its entirety. There is also a Government proclamation over 1300 acres of land' in the Taita district for bousing purposes, and the extension of the line from Waterloo through to Taita would serve the hundreds of houses that could be erected on such a large area. In addition. there are many acres of vacant land suitable for building in Stokes Valley. Silverstream. Heretaunga. Wallaceville, Upper Hutt and Iteyond. The new Western Hutt highway from Lower Hutt is to connect with the main Wairarapa road at the straight stretch approaching Silverstream by means of a bridge which will be completed within a few months. Tlie effect of completion of the full railway scheme will Lm? to keep the road traffic between Lower Hutt and Silverstream and beyond on the western side of the Hutt Valley and the railroad on the eastern side

Utilising Highway

The present stretch of main road between Stokes Valley and the Silverstream railway bridge will be of little use with the completion of the Western Hutt main road scheme. The. three or four houses that are,at.present on the slopes of this stretch of gorge road are under Government proclamation. As it is understood that the Waterloo extension scheme will bring the railroad through to Stokes Valley, it is therefore not improbable that the section of main road between there and the Silverstream railway bridge will be utilised as a railroad to connect with the existing line in the vicinity of the bridge. Before the housing scheme ar Taita could proceed some better means of transport for the residents would be required. The Waterloo extension through Taita would give this necessary service.

The indicators on the new multiple electric coaches on the WellingtouJohnsonville line have included on their rota of destinations the names of stations in the Hurt Valley, indicating that there is a possibility that in the future these will be used on an electrified route to at least Upper Hutt.