MAIN TRUNK WASHOUT

Greymouth Evening Star, 22 August 1939, Page 12

MAIN TRUNK WASHOUT

TRAFFIC DISORGAN ISED. [per press association.'] AUCKLAND, .August 21. Rearrangements of the schedules of two expresses for Wellington were made at Auckland to-day because of an extensive wash-out on the Main Trunk line south of. Te Kuiti. The 3 pan. train did not leave ua il 9 p.m., and the Limited express, which usually departs at 7-15 pan., was held until 10 pan. Because of the delays and the uncertainty as to whether the wash-out would' be cleared, many passengers cancelled their seats. Originally it was hoped that the damage would be repaired at an early hour this morning, and trains were delayed in order that their arrival at the scene would synchronise with the repair of the wash-out, thus saving passengers a long wait at the scene. Subsequently it was found that the reopening of the line would take longer than had been anticipated. It was then announced that trains would proceed to Te Kuiti only, and that a decision on the transferring of passengers and mail across tbe affected section of the line would be made at daylight to-morrow morning. A similar arrangement was made for the two Wellington-Auckland expresses, which were to be held at Taumarunui until daybreak. When the position became known in Auckland early this afternoon it was decided to solve the difficulty partly by dispatching a relief train to convey passengers to points between Auckland and Te Kuiti. A fairly large number of persons travelled on the relief train, but on account of cancellations there were comparatively few on the later expresses. The first train had between 60 and 70 persons on board. There were about 130 on the Limited express, nearly half of whom were in sleeping compartments. Included among the passengers on both expresses were some travellers who arrived at Auckland by the Monterey, and Members of Parliament, including the Speaker (Mr Barnard). The wash-out occurred five miles south of Te Kuiti.

The earth fell away comparatively suddenly soon after a north-bound mixed' train had passed. A blocked culvert is the cause of the wash-out. With the exceptionally heavy rains the water backed up deeply in a pocket behind a filling, saturated it, and then pushed the filling away, for the length of two chains. More than 50 men were engaged this evening piling up sleepers to take the weight of the lines now sagging into space and replacing the culvert. LINE NOW CLEARED. WELLINGTON, August 22. Owing to the washout five miles south of Te Kuiti, the 3 p.m. express from Wellington, which should have, left Taumarunui at 1.10 a.m. to-day, did not proceed till 9.15 a.m. The Limited express from Wellington should have left Taumarunui at 4.3 a.m., but was held till 10.15 a.m. The 3 p.m. express from Auckland yesterday, and the Limited express from Auckland, were held at Te Kuiti, and were made into one train, which left there at 12.15 p.m., and is due here at 10.30 to-night. The General Manager (Mr. Mackley) and the Chief Assistant Engineer (Mr. Lusty) left Wellington in a railcar, last night, to look into the position at the scene of the washout. Traffic is now clear, and normal running has been resumed. The mails were not transhipped. They will arrive at Wellington about 11 p.m., and be sorted by a special staff.