NEW RAILWAY WORKS

Evening Post, Volume CX, Issue 49, 26 August 1925, Page 4

NEW RAILWAY WORKS

Among the improvement measures enumerated in the Railways Statement as being already in operation ia the ten-year programme of - improvements and new works. Particulars are given of the progress of several of the works included in this programme, but we have no means of gauging whether the work is proceeding according to schedule. The Wellington proposals of greater importance and the time set for completion are: New yard, seven years;- Tawa Flat deviation, five years ; Hutt Valley railway, three years; Rimutaka deviation (to commence in fifth year of programme), four years. These are the figures and proposals in the schedule submitted to Parliament by Mr. Coates last year. That schedule covered an eightyear programme to cost £8,081,500. The Railways Statement now refers to a ten-year programme. Does this mean that the schedule has been redrafted ? On the statements of progress made it appears that the reclamation which must precede the construction of a new yard is well forward,; but Tawa Flat deviation has not yet passed the survey stage. Seeing that £7. r),000 expenditure in the first year was allowed for this item', it does not appear that the time-table has been adhered to. The .Hutt Valley railway upon which £30,000 was to be spent.in the first year also appears to ]ag, but the local difficulties encountered may excuse this. We. do hope, however, that as concentration lifts been accepted, the public will have th(\ ;idvniit.ngo of. KiK'.oily work fvoin this policy. Wellington has accepted

viation without complaint as inevitable in a plan of concentration. Ib is reasonable, then, to ask that there shall be no delay in the prosecution of works which have a higher place in the schedule.