UNDERGROUND

Evening Post, Volume CXIII, Issue 30, 5 February 1927, Page 11

UNDERGROUND

RAILWAY THROUGH AUCKLAND

STATION SITE PURCHASED

(By telegraph.)

(Special t» "Ttu Evening Post.")

AUCKLAND, This Day.

A site of approximately half an acre has been chosen by the Government for the principal city station of the new underground railway to connect Auckland with the western suburbs. The position is between Marmion street and White street, off "Upper Queen_ street, and close to what will eventually be the -civic centre. A site off Wakefield street was originally suggested, but the railway authorities have been influenced in making the decision,by the fact that the Marmion, street site is at a lower level. > ■■-. V \

- It' is estimated that at Wakefield street the tunnel would have been 125 feet 1 below ground level. The site now ■chosen means a drop of only 30 feet. The; new railway, of ■ which, the underground portion will be 116 chains in length, will run from the new station fa Morningside, a distance of: a;little oyer 4. three miles. It is: proposed $o' build an intermediate station. Negotiations for, the : purchase of land have, not; yet been completed, but the choice of a position is quite definite. .

An important building development is mowjin.' progress: near the new site. Some idem of the value of Queen street properties is given by th c fact th at £740 .per. 1 square foot was paid for. a site on, which the new building of the National Bank now stands. A big price has also been paid for a certain' property in Upper Queen street, close to where the new nndefgrouiiid station will be built. ;' i \

The - contract for the. construction of. the railway has not yet been let, but .the system' will, of course, be electrical.

In his report in 1924 upon new Tailway facilities at Auckland, in which he sugg*ated an- alternative route to the Newmarket-M6rningßid« route from the now Auckland station to Morningside, tunnelling;, under tEe cit^, the Chief Engineer of Railways estimated the cost of the • City-Morningside, routs . at ,dE449,000.' "With a line, in this posiijioni" -He."raid, aa"underground sta; ,tion.' double-line' platform only in the vicinity of the Town Hall would be required. The bulk of the suburban traffic would be much better served by the proposed route than by the trains, trams, and trains combined, as at present, : If such a line were constructed it would be necessary to. electrify it^ and.presnmablyif such were done the wholel p* the lines in the Auckland subTirban area would be electrified at the same time. The matter can therefore He e'onsidered from a broad standpoint only; Apart from the .question of electrification, the saving in- working expense( should, almost pay'interest on the cost ; of [construction." :