RAILWAY AFFAIRS

Hawera Star, Volume XLVIII, 8 April 1925, Page 5

RAILWAY AFFAIRS

HETT VALLEY LINE. ) ' DUPLICATION WORK STARTED. FINANCIAL RETURNS. (By Telegraph—Special to Star.) WELLINGTON, April 7. The Minister for Railways will turn the first sod of the Hutt Valley deviation near Lower Hutt on Aprils 16. It is intended not to proceed with the whole duplication, which ultimately will form a loop, leaving the main line near Lower Hutt and rejoining it seven miles further north, near Silverstream. The first portion will tap a large area of front suburban land in the Hutt borough and is to be three miles long, and is being constructed on the betterment system. ,> The Government, prior to the consideration of the scheme, owned several large areas of land bought,for workmen’s dwellings settlements. These were recently qdded to by purchases made on the basis of options obtained before the Government’s plane were disclosed. The Government intends to subdivide when the railway is e built, and apply the profits towards, the cost of construction. , . '• Final returns for the financial year ended March 31 are not yet available. 1 In regard to railways built it is. not expected that they will show a profit after payment' of interest, though the goods traffic is well maintained and is showing that business is coming back to the railways..; ~Thej passenger traffic has seriously declined owing to motor competition* and the infantile paralysis epidemic. The late Easter also prejudices the financial results by throwing this traffic into the next financial year. ' „ . ’

CURIOUS COINCIDENCE

EFFECTS OF SLIGHT ACCIDENTS. ‘

(BY TELEGRAPH PRESS AHSGCIATTON, WELLINGTON, April 8. '; Both in Lambton (citv) and Petone railway yards slight accidents happened at almost the same hour, which had the effect of hanging up traffic for'.’some time. ■ ■ v. .. 1 >

At the former place ,an empty passenger carriage derailed and upset a signal post. _ It was not till 5 o’clock that the rails could he cleared. Ten trains were held up. Meantime at Petone a goods train was backed over some points ’ and blocked the main line, hut an emergency route was found at- the hack of the yard.