RAILWAY CONSTRUCTION

Evening Star, Issue 24004, 1 October 1941, Page 6

RAILWAY CONSTRUCTION

SOUTH ISLAND MAIM TRUNK MINISTER REVIEWS PROGRESS (Special.) WELLINGTON. Oct. 1. “ I xvish to correct any impression that work on tho South Island Main Trunk railxvay is being pushed ahead to the detriment of other works of national importance,” said the Minister of Public Works (Hon. H. T. Armstrong) this morning. The Minister said that a report from Christchurch that work xvas being pushed on with all speed and that shifts and gangs xvero being doubled wherever possible in an effort to have the northern section of the line in operation by the last xvoek in Docembex- was incorrect.- It xvas true that tho platelayiug gang had been doubled recently, but that xvas only becaxxso men and materials xvere available and not in any effort to speed up construction of tlxo line. Any impression that the line xvould bo open for traffic in December should bo removed. All that had been said so far was that the rails would be laid to Kaikoura on the northern section by the end of December. After that, ballasting would have to be completed and station yards and buildings laid out and erected. That xvould naturally take some considerable time longer to complete. and all that work had to bo done before the line could be handed over to the Railxvay Department for the operation of passenger and goods traffic. The total number of extra men employed on the northern section of tho line in the last six xveeks xvas only 40, and many more men than that were required to keep the work going at normal speed.