WASH-OUT ON LINE

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXVIII, Issue 20620, 22 November 1941, Page 6

WASH-OUT ON LINE

MAIN TRUNK BLOCKED FLOODING AT SHANNON (Per Press Association.) WELLINGTON, this day. Train services between Wellington and the Manawatu, including the Main Trunk expresses, have been badly disorganised owing to a wash-out at Shannon. The Levin races have been postponed until Monday owing to .the overnight heavy rain, which one farmer living between Levin and Shannon says constituted the heaviest fall experienced in the locality in his experience of 50 years. This morning he milked his' cows in 15in. of water.

All traffic over the affected area was suspended to-day, passengers being transhipped between Shannon and Makerua. Some trains were diverted via the Wairarapa.

It was raining heavily round Shannon and Levin on Thursday, and, with the ground already heavily soaked, the flood waters last night collected faster than the drainage could carry them away. The railway line, being low-lying, was quickly beseiged. About half a mile on the Palmerston North side of Shannon a section of the line is carried on a low trestle bridge, which showed signs of weakening early this morning. Trains passed over it slowly, but the flood triumphed about 8 o’clock, the concrete supports becoming undermined and .a complete break occurring over a chain in length. The Limited from Auckland, then already late, was stopped at the washout and the passengers transferred from Makerua to Shannon, where a relief train received them, and similar arrangements are being made for all passenger traffic. Important trains will continue to use this route, but the train from Napier has been diverted to the Wairarapa. Main highway traffic can get through although small cars have some difficulty.