N.I. FLOODS

Grey River Argus, 15 March 1940, Page 4

N.I. FLOODS

RAILWAY repair work. WELLINGTON, March 13. Provided the weather remains fine, a month to six weeks is expected to elapse before daylight traffic will bo permitted on the Stratfoid-Okahu kura railway, which was extensively damaged by floods, slips, and washouts on February 25. An est;mate oi the time repairs would take was made by the chief engineer of railways, Mr G J. Bertinshaw, and the district engineer at Wanganui, Mr J. Dow, a£fer insnecting the damage last week It was stated to-day that though the track may be open for the passage of trains in about a month, night running will not. be possible, because of the large number of potenfal slips which will hav* to be dealt with before the line is sufficiently safe for day and night working. A railway official said to-day that the blockage to the Stratford line and the restriction of traffic m the Manawatu Gorge to daylight working were causing the department serious di h; culties. “We are having difficulty with the turnover of waggons,” ne added “This is the busiest season ol the year, and delays to loaded waggons are imposing a severe strain on rolling stock resources.” It is expected that the Gorge will be open continuously oi passenger and freight traffic from tie niffiit of March 21, the day before the ■ holidays, to the night of Easter Monday The line will then be closed to all night traffic to enable the work of -extending the portal of No. 1 tunnel on the Palmerston North side to be continued. The tunnel is being ex tended to protect the line from the possibility of falls of rock from the hillside above. . Permanent way speed restrictions still anol v to sections of the track on the Main Trunk, which were damag|ed on February 25. There are restrictions near Kakahi and Piriaka. and also over portions of the track on the Raurimu spiral. Limited expresses between Wellington and Auckland are showing delays of approximately 30 minutes each way because of these restrictions. ind the crossings which have to be made with other trains.