MIDLAND LINE SLIPS

Greymouth Evening Star, 19 January 1944, Page 4

MIDLAND LINE SLIPS

NO TRAINS TILL SATURDAY ROAD BUSES UTILISED Trains are not expected to run on the Midland line between the west Coast and Canterbury before Saturday at the earliest as the result ot the extensive slips which cover the track over a distance of six miles on the Greymouth side of Otira. All services were cancelled late yesterday afternoon, and hopes are now pinned on having sufficient track cleared through the slips by Friday evening to enable the service to be resumed on Saturday, but this is dependent upon the fine weather holding. To meet the exigencies of the situation, the Railways Rqa'd Services were to-day pressed into operation, and shortly after 1 o’clock this afternoon four buses with accommodation for 100 passengers left Greymouth for Christchurcn, travelling via the Lewis Pass. Although bookings were not due to open till 10 a.m., there was a big queue waiting shortly after 9 a.m. All who were eligible to travel were taken, though it had earlier been intended to send seven vehicles. Only passengers who helo permits to travel by rail under the restriction scheme were accepted for booking. Travelling through Springs Junction and Culverden, they will reach Christchurch this evening. An additional fare of 26/6 was charged to cover the distance from Reefton to Culverden. The last bus left Greymouth at about 1.15. The journey is scheduled for completion in about eight and ahalf hours, so that Christchurch should be reached before 10 p.m., but as the vehicles were heavily laden, and much of the way is over steep gradients ,the trip may take a good deal longer. Refreshments will be available at two points en route. Two buses —the only vehicles available —left Christchurch for the Coast this morning, and were to travel as far as Reefton. There the passengers will connect with the usual rail-car service and should reach Greymouth about 6.30 this evening. To-morrow only these two buses will be available to return to Christchurch, and only limited bookings from Greymouth will be accepted. Passengers from Greymouth will leave by the 7.25 a.m. rail-car. The four buses which to-day went _to Christchurch will to-morrow bring passengers from that end. It is too early yet to determine the policy to be adopted for rail passengers when the’railway is restored. Many of the passengers who would have travelled by the first of the “permit”, expresses, yesterday, will have left for Christchurch by road, .but if the rail service resumes on Saturday it will still be faced with the lask of accommodating passengers booked for Thursday and Saturday apart from any surplus from Tuesday. Passengers on the express for the Coast who got only as far as Springfield, yesterday, did not return to Christchurch till 3.10 p.m. The Greymouth Taxicab Control Committee authorised seven taxi operators to convey to Christchurch people who desired to reach there urgenly. Four taxis left yesterday and three more this morning, and all should return by to-morrow. It is stated that no extra allowance of petrol has been made, tne ordinary allotment being drawn upon. FORMIDABLE TASK

The Railways and Public Works Departments are co-operating in tackling the mass of debris, which is concentrated in five distinct slips between Neilly’s Creek, two miles lue other side of Jacksons, and Kelly’s Creek, two miles this side of Otira. Mr E. F. Evans, District Engineer of the Public Works Department, stated this morning that the men were concentrating on first freeing the railway line, and it was hoped that four tractors would be in operation by this evening. The job was being approached from both the Coast and Canterbury sides, but lack of communication hampered contact between the two parties. However, it was hoped that a track of some sort would be cleared by Friday evening. In places the spoil is 50ft deep above the roadway, and at a conservative estimate some 20,000 cubic yards of material have fallen. The slips started a mile back in the bush, and mixed with the debris are great logs and small trees, all of 'which add to the difficulty of the job. Mr A. H. Murison, Inspecting Engineer of the Railways Department. Wellington, and Mr P. H. Morey, District Engineer, Christchurch, are on the job, and Mr L. N. Lower, Foreman of Works, Greymouth, is in immediate charge of the clearing operations on the line. A skeleton staff was maintained throughout the night, but work in earnest commenced at daylight this morning. Yesterday 40 men were employed at the Coast end of the obstruction, but Mr Lower emphasised that machinery rather than men will be the secret of rapid clearance. Rumours that a bridge and culverts were enveloped by the spoil have been categorically denied, and there is little reason to doubt that once the debris is cleared away the track will be workable within a'short period.

Line repair parties, working from early this morning at both the Otira and Canterbury ends, succeeded in completing the circuit between Greymouth and Christchurch by 10.45 this morning, thus giving a full telegraphic and telephonic service. A second circuit to Otira was completed later in the day. These repairs are of a temporary nature, utilising six miles of insulated wire lor six wires over a mile of country, and permanent repairs may not be possible for many weeks. The Wainihinihi Post Office was isolated about 6 o’clock this morning when a bulldozer being conveyed to the scene of the slips smashed a pole and brought down several wires.