MIDLAND LINE BLOCKED

Grey River Argus, 19 March 1941, Page 3

MIDLAND LINE BLOCKED

NEAR STAIRCASE Road Outlets also Impassable At present the West Coast is isolated from Canterbury, a large slip which came down near Staircase, on the Midland Line yesterday afternoon, block.ng all railway traffic, and both roads to Canterbury being closed owing to slips. The slip cam? down shortly after the Christ-church-Greymouth express had passed yesterday, but the express from Greymouth was held up after passing Cass, and the 76 passenger returned to Greymouth at 11.30 o’clock last night. When the incoming express passed th e scene of the slip, passengers noticed that the permanent wav was in an unsatisfactory position, following extremely heavy rain in the Canterbury area, and it was considered fortunate that they were able to continue on their journey. Shortly afterwards the side of the hill gave way, taking with it one of the viaduct bridges and completely stepping traffic. As a result of the blockage, which the Railways Department, at a latehour last nigh anticipated could not be cleared for at least two days, all rail traffic between Canterbury and Westland has been cancelled. Last night’s rail,-car to Christchurch did not leave, and will be used to-day on the usual run to and from Hokitika. To-day’s weekly sale at Addington will be held without a large quantity of West Coast stock. 26 large- wagons, included in last night’s perishable goods train to Canterbury having been held at Greymouth. They will be reconsigned to their owners to-day. At Stillwater a large quantity of Nelson apples, for transshipment by the samp train, has been held up. To meet last night's -express on its return from Arthur’s Pass, the Railways Department arranged for buses to convey passengers to Hokitika and also from Stillwater to Ngahere and Blackball. On last night’s nine o’clock train to Otira th-?r e was attached a passenger van for the convenience of Otira line residents who were unable to proceed to their homes on the perishable goods train at 7.35 p.m., but only three or four people availed themselves of the opportunity.

At the scene of the slip at Staircase Gully, the passengers were supplied with tea and light refreshments by the local residents, and on their iel urn last evening to Greymouth, a number of them expressed appreciation of the hospitality extended to them. At. Otira special arrangements were- made to provide the passengers with a mew.

TWO DAYS' SUSPENSION, Late last night the Railways Department estimated thal,- the -line ,to Christchurch would not be re--opened for two days, all hough the full extent of the damage done by the slip was not ascertainable. The rebuilding of a temporary viaduct is expected to provide a problem in view of the continued bad weather on the East Coast, and the slippery nature of the country. BLOCKED ROADS. Th e Lewis Pass road is blocked by a slip which came down yesterday on the Canterbury side. Its extent is not known, but it is hoped to reopen the road to-day. The Railways' Road Service bus which left Reefton yesterday morning for Hanmer, was forced to return to Reefton. The passenger's wen,? subsequently brought on to Groymouth in the hope of crossing to Canterbury via Otira Gorge, but a big slip at Porter’s Pass, about 14 miles from Springfield, had also blocked that route. The bus later returned to Reefton and another attempt to get to Canterbury will be made to-day. The road is blocked also in th e Kaikoura district, so that yesterday’ the West. Coast was completely isolated from Canterbury by road and rail.

Two Big Slips BESIDES BROKEN BRIDGE. LINE MAY HAVE BEEN SWEPT AWAY. CHRISTCHURCH, March 18. The heavy rain in th e watershed above Springfield brought down s’ips and wash-outs this afternoon along the line between Christchurch and the West Coast. The line is now blocked. This evening the Railway authorities were unable to give any definite indication of when it would b p available again for through traffic One huge slip, 600 yards long, came down near Staircase, nine miles from Springfield. Another slip crashed down, on to a small bridge between No. 3 and No. 4 tunnels, not very far from Springfield, smashing two spans of the' bridge. One span has d’sappear ed, and the other is hanging in midair. The express from Greymouth, due along this span of line not much later, was halted and u’tjma'e'.-' seW back to Greymouth, it being impossible To transport th e passengers bv motor bus, as Ihe only road available over Porter’s Pass was also bV>cked A slip between Sta’rcase and K.iWhai has b'oeked the mouth of a railway tunnel. Later more material started to come down, and it will not be known until gangs of workmen, who were -ent un to-day. have moved thousands of tons of debris, whet he*; JLe line itself has been swept away. The workmen have two sl’ps to clear a wav before they get to the broken bridge. It was stdl raining in the Sprlngfie’d area this evening, and th P indications were that the workmen rent i'D to deal with the trouble would have an unenviable time Fully equipped break-down trains have been sent out. EFFECT OF RAINS. ON OTHER LINES. CHRISTCHURCH. M«”oh I.R. Thn North Line near. Cidverclen was under water to l - a HioL to-da.v, and poods trains were unable to set through. | The South IslamUMam T”wk Vm' ; s not seriously afmeted. Sohe huge l-nulder- in thn tlawksCutting, hu# these wen soon shifted, and that# train got through without, difficult#