BIGGER RAILWAY VOTE

Evening Star, Issue 20315, 25 October 1929, Page 6

BIGGER RAILWAY VOTE

In introducing his Estimates, the Minister, after referring to his personal inspection of the country and his conviction that improved access to backblocks areas is an urgent necessity, announces that the total vote proposed for railway construction this year is £l,655,000, this being a very considerable increase on the £1,002,872 spent last year. The rate of progress on railway construction has been generally expedited in accordance with the Prime Minister’s policy of bringing the railways under construction to a paying point as early as possible. The reason for this is obvious, particularly as this policy also enabled the employment of additional men on reproductive work rather than on relief works, which, although useful works and eventually necessary, were not so urgently required by the country. “ In addition to the railways being constructed from the ordinary Public Works Fund,” he proceeds, “ my department has been carrying out two very large _ works with funds derived from what is known as the railways improvement account. These deviations are in the vicinity of Auckland and Wellington. What is known as the Westfield deviation, which is being constructed in order to obviate the steep grades which, combined with heavy suburban traffic, cause congestion between Auckland and Penrose, is now nearing .completion. Goods traffic to a limited extent is now in operation over one of the tracks (this being a doubletrack deviation). It will not be possible to open the deviation to traffic ot all classes until the new Auckland railway station and the yards which form part of it are ready for use. This latter work is being carried out under a contract let by the Minister of Railways. The Tawa Flat deviation, which will cut out the heavy grades and circuitous lines between Wellington and Tawa Flat, is now being energetically pushed. Every available face in the tunnels is manned. The very latest tunnelling machinery has been installed, with the aid of which it is hoped to considerably further increase the number of men engaged.