THE STRAIGHTENING OF THE HUTT RAILWAY.

Evening Post, Volume LXX, Issue 14, 17 July 1905, Page 2

THE STRAIGHTENING OF THE HUTT RAILWAY.

TO THE EDITOB. Sir,— Some ten chains of the earthwork of the new railway line have been completed at the Petone end. This is sufficient to show that it is the intention to construct the two lines of railway on the outer or sea side. The wisdom of this appears to me to be open to question. The Hutt road is, and always will be, in a wet and muddy state and difficult to maintain so long as it is under the shadow of tho cliffs and subject to the drainage of flood water therefrom. Now, why not put the railway on the inside? Th© ab-_ sence of sun will not affect its maintenance. The proposed filling will grre a fair depth of water for the greater part of the si^ mile's. This would enable lighters and barges to lie alongside and discharge and load goods for and from the factories that will no doubt be built in +he reclaimed bays. If the railway is built on the sea side all access is cut off by road to this valuable berthing. From a scenic point of view we would have a marine parade unequalled in the colony. What is more attractive than a highway of this description? The Marine Parade, Napier, is an example of this. From a point of safety this proposal also merits consideration. It is proposed to ran trains with a speed ■ of forty-five miles per hour. Imagine an accident through derailment, broken axle, * or one of the many mishaps to which trains [ of high speed are liable — flying off afc a \ tangent -into twenty feet of .water. I sincerely think that this question deserves the serious consideration of -that businesslike body, the local Chamber of Coml merce. — I am, etc., b ■ ONLOOKER. 3 Wellington, 11th July, 1905. '