SOUTH TRUNK RAILWAY

Evening Star, Issue 22989, 21 June 1938, Page 13

SOUTH TRUNK RAILWAY

WORK AHEAD OF SCHEDULE [Peb United Pbess Association.] BLENHEIM, June 20. By Christmas the railhead on the southern section of the South Island Main Trunk will be transferred frorq Parnassus 10 Conway, according to .vu E. P. Meachen, M.P., who, as one of the members co-opted by the Minister of Public Works (Hon. u. Semple), has just completed a week’s tour of the railway construction camps. He said he found that satisfactory progress was being made. Mr Meachcn stated that the schedule set by Mr Semple was well up to date, and there was every reason to believe that the whole undertaking, which was one of the largest in the country, would be completed ahead of time. The nevv length of line between Parnassus

and Conway, it was anticipated, would be available first for the transport of livestock only, eliminating 15 miles of road droving, 'ihe actual permanent way was now being laid, and a quantity of steel, already fabricated, was waiting in Parnassus yards before transportation to complete the bridges on tho section. Mr Meachen reported favourable progress in tunnelling and other directions. He mentioned that the piers for the big Clarence bridge, which was tho principal undertaking in the northern section, were expected to be completed in August. As it might be 18 months before all the necessary steel for the bridge was fabricated at the Wobnrn railway workshops, it was possible that a temporary bridge might be used by work trains to facilitate the track-lay-ing between Clarence and Kaikoura.