OTIRA TUNNEL.

Grey River Argus, 11 August 1925, Page 8

OTIRA TUNNEL.

TRAFFIC FROM THE WEST COAST. LARGE INCREASE LAST YEAR. ? i Expectations that tho volume of traffic through the Otira tunnel—tho connecting railway link between the east and west coasts of the South Island—would steadily increase ouch year have been amply justified by the returns for the twelve months just ended. xhe tunnel, which is more than five miles in length, was opened to traffic on August 4, 1923. Prior to that date, passengers between Canterbury and Westland were required to travel a portion of the journey by coach over Arthur’s Pass and through the . Otira Gorge and practically all goods traffic fvent by sea between the ports of Lyttelton to Greymouth. The opening of the tunnel was an important development in tho commerce of the two provinces, because it provided the means for the direct transport of goods by .rail from coast to coast. Canterbury was able to obtain coal and timber direct by rail from the mines and mills of the West Coast, at lower transport charges than had been paid previously, while tho West Coast obtained morcliajdise direct xi'oin Canterbury, and thus irksome delays were avoided.

During tho two years that the tunnel hus been in use there have been practically no stoppages except a few interruptions due io floods and washouts on tho Canterbury section of the railway. Tho truffle from the West to the East Coast has been increasing steadily each, month, and during the twelve months just ended was 85,022 cons greater than that for tlfO first year of operation.

During the past six weeks the traffic has boon exceptionally heavy, the largest weekly total being' 9879 tons, which is the record tonnage for any week since the tunnel was opened. Tho weekly figures for the period from June 6 to August 1 are:—Week ended June 13, 8394 tons; Juno 20, 7753 tons; June 27, 9342 tons: July 4. 7086 tons: July 11, 9053 tons; July 18. 9870 tons: July 25, 9209 tons; ‘August 1, 7993 lons. The average number of goods trains through the tunnel from west to oast each working day during that period was six, the. number on several exceptionally busy days being eighL The traffic comprises mainly coal nnd timber,, a.id approximately one-.third of the total tonnage hauled through the tunnel is represented by weight of trucks. The gross tonnages hauled from west to east each .month since the opening of the tunnel are as fol-

‘Decrease due to railway strike. • tlncrcase due to rush of traffic following the strike. Details of the traffic from Canterbury to "Westland are not available but the volume, though increasing steadily, is small in comparison with that from, ihg V’c.si,Coast.

low:-— ■ 1923-24. 1924-25. August (27 davs) .. S.695 25,746 September .. 18.154 28.797 October . 28.165 Noveipbcr .. 20 313 25,723 December .. 2(M51 22,-OOG January .. 18,157 20,050 .. 2U836 26411 March ‘ . . 22.781 April . *19,215 26,020 May . 34,672 June .. 25.264 34,802 July .. 27.208 39,202 August (3 days) . .. 2,001 2.380 Totals 258,877 343,809