WEST COAST RAILWAYS.

Greymouth Evening Star, 17 October 1911, Page 6

WEST COAST RAILWAYS.

A MINISTERIAL STATEMENT. VOTES FOR THIS YEAR. In the course of his Public Works' Statement, delivered in the House of Representatives last night, the Hon. R. McKenzie made the following reference to the West Coast railways:—At the Nelson end of the railway the section between Kiwi and Tui has been finished, but as a matter of departmental convenience, is still retained by the Public Works Department, though traffic for settlers is being run over it. Work on the Glenhope section is also aproaching completion, and it is expected this section will be available for traffic about March next, when the whole line to Glenhope will be handed over to the Railway Department for regular working. A commencement will shortly be made on the further section between Glenhope and the confluence of ■ tho Hope and Buller rivers, the location survey of which is well in hand. It is proposed to ask the authorisation of another section on this line of about nino miles in length, namely to the confluence of the Owen and Buller rivers and provision for this will be made in tho Railways Authorisation Bill. At tho Reefton end the section between Ci'onadnn and ' Inangahua Landing is practically finished and tho work is in hand between the landing and Inan-. gahua Junction. The exact site of the Junction station has not at present been fixed but surveys are now in hand to determine the best point of crossing of the Buller river as on this the question of the location of the Junction Station largely depends. A great deal of work has been done on tho Canterbury-Westland portion of f the line. Arthur's Pass Tunnel "heading" has been driven for a total distance of 1 mile 68 chains, leaving 3 miles 37 chains yet to be pierced, and nearly a mile and a half have been enlarged to the full size and lined. A good deal of work has been done outside the tunnel, and at Otira end the embankment has now reached the bed of the Otira river.

The expenditure on the different sections of the Midland Railway during the year ig as follows: —Nelson end £23,861 j Reefton end £15,675 5 Otira Bealey £73,179; Broken River-Bealev £28,913. Total £151,628.

For the current year the following appropriations are proposed:— Nelson end £35,000; Reefton end £20,000; Otira-Bealey £90,000; Braken River-Bealey £50,000. Total £195,000.

We-stpo'rHnangahua-,—Tho first section of this railway between Westport and Tekuha (5 miles 74 chains) is finished except the station buildings, which are well in hand. On the completion of these buildings the section will be handed to the Railway Department for regular working. Beyond Tekuha work is in progress for rather more than three miles, partly on co-operative system and partly under small contracts let by public tender. The work is making satisfactory progress and it will be necessary to ask this year for a authorisation of a further section of tho railway, and provision hag been made for this in the Railways Authorisation Bill, The expenditure last year wag £18,557 and for the current year £30,000 is asked for, Ngahere-Blaekball.—This railway has been open to traffic for Eome time, but a good deal of work was done on it last year, the expenditure amounting to over £II,OOO. A few completion works remained to bo executed. Greymouth-Point Elizabeth.—Tho main line of this railway is complete with the exception of the centre rail, but some little work remains, to bo done on the back shunt at the end of the line, where extensive slips have occurred. The whole railways will, however, bo in working order by the time the new State mine is in a position to put out coal. The expenditure last year amounted to £47,081 and for the current year £25,000 is asked for and Mill be sufficient to complete the line. ._ Ross-Mikonui.—The local authorities in Westland district, including * the County Council, the Kumara, Hokitika and Ross Borough Councils, the Hokitika Harbour Board a "d the South Westland. Railway League have for some past asked for an extension of the railway from Ross to Waitaha, and the Government, after carefully considering the matter proposes to undertake the first section of th? line, namely as far ag Mikojmi, a distance of about four miles. Formal authority for the construction of the line is to be asked for in the Railways Authorisation Bill, and £SOOO on account of tho cost included in the; Estimates. This line will provide an outlet for a very large quantity of milling timber, as well' as qpening up a considerable area of agripultwal land-. „