RAILWAYS

Marlborough Express, Volume XLVIII, Issue 248, 21 October 1914, Page 6

RAILWAYS

SOUTH ISLAND MAIN TRUNK

ANOTHER SMALL VOTE.

. INCREASED ALLOCATIONS FOR , , BRANCH LINES.' •

The following references to railway ; Construction were mad© fay the ] jKlinistev for Public Works in the | Statement submitted |to the House | last night:— During the last financial year, or •m&ce its close, 59 miles 19 chains of j ai«ew line were completed and opened i 'ffer traffic. A further 38 .miles 15 I -dbains were practically completed, ] but have not y«t been handed over | to the Railway Department. _ j : Tie section from Ward to > Mills (7 miles 76 chains) is approaching completion, and is expected to. be ready to open for traffic during the current i financial year. /The total expenditure on railway ; .construction arid improvement work •during last financial year amounted to £1,144,459, as follo\vs:—Construction of new lines, £606,448; additions to open lines, £498,448; railways im- . twovement account, £39,563. ■-' Kaihu Extension: The expenditure on this line during |the last financial i year amounted to £6476, s and for the can-rent year,a vote of £10,000 is proposed. _ ■ Kawakawa-Hokianga: The expenditure during the last financial year was £29,056, and for the current year .a vote of £25^000 is proposed. Wharigarei-North Auckland!: The expenditure during the,last financial year, principally for survey work, was £2155, and for the current year a vote of £35,000 is proposed. , North Auckland Main Trunk: The expenditure last year was £48,250. Votes totalling £75,000 are proposed this year. Huntly-Awaroa: The expenditure upon the railway and bridge during lasfc > financial year amounted to £16,503} and' for the current year a vote of £30,000 vis proposed.. Waiitklu Branch: The' expenditure which came to charge up to the end <rf last year wag only £664, but for ■the cijrrjent year a vote of £25,000 is ra*sked';'for'.' ':;-. ' . .■.'...■■ " •.' ■.■

East Main Trunk!: ;The exr•penditure during last finanical year on the different sections was as follows :T^-Waihi to1 Tauranga, £205; Tauranga to Taneatua, £40^346; j ; Cfisborne to.Motu, £44j464; Gisb'orne j to Napier, north end, £29,647; Gis- I fcorne to Jfapier, south end, £2982; j -total, £117,644. For the current j year votes are proposed as under:— Waihi to Tauranga, £25,000 j Tauranga to Te Maunga, ■ £20,000; ■. Maunganui (to Taneatua, £50,000; Gisborne to Motu, £30,000; Gisborne , to Napier, north end, £45,000; Gis- j borne to Napier, south end, £20,000; total, £190,000. : : Btratford-Mnia Trunk: Tho ex-, penditure on this line during the past financial year was £67,432 at the western end, and £21,443 att the ©astern end, or a total of £88,875. 3For the current year a vate of j £100,000 is proposed. ; I Mount IJgmont Branch: During the ! last financial year £5933 was ex- i pended on this'line, and for the curarent year a vote of £7500' is proposed. Jt is also proposed td; construct a shoi-t branch line from/the mam line near Marton to a point in • the Rangitikei river-bed, wnenc© a very considerable quantity of excel-, lent road metal can be obtained. Provision for the authorisation: of ithisV Branch line will be made in the Rail- j wajrs Authorisation, Bill, arid an amount of £7500 is provided on the t .."Sstimates to enable its construction ' to be proceeded with. ■-..'",r Opunake Branch The expenditure •during the past financial year in eon- j ;nection with the surveys amounted to :£"828, and for the current year a vote ■of £40,000 is proposed. IOpunake Branch: The expenditure Henditure on this line during the past . .financial year amounted to £5031,! ■saxd for <the current year a vote of :030,000 is proposed. . { Featherston - Martinhorbugh: The expenditure out of last year's vote amounted to only £311, but for the' •current financial year a, vote of .£15,000 is proposed. , SOUTH.ISAND MAIN TRUNK. Earthworks on the section between fWardand Mills were completed during the yea and the combined road and railway bridge over the Ure'v Uiver has been finished under con- ! tract. On© large contract has been let for platelajdng and ballasting Over the whole eight miles to Mills fixation, the work to be completed by ; ■February next. It is intended to put formation-work in Jiand beyond Mills during the current year. No forma-feon-work beyond Parnassus /the teribinus of the southern end of the line; Wm undertaken during the year, nor is any provision made therefor on this ,'y^r's Railway Estimates. A very iSli'Jstantial sum, however, is provklecl ,on the Roads Estimates ; tor ■bridging, gradjing, and metalling the ioain road between Parnassus and Kuikoura. The expendititre during tlio financial year (mostly to meet ;lt;.\bilifcies previously incurred) was £7801 at the north' end and £3145 at | ilic south' end. For the current year-"! ;a vote of £26,000 is proposed for trie north end. ■ ■ f \

, C'ulverderi-Waiau: The route for tliis extension has .been laid out, and tvto small contracts' let for easy- for-mation-work, which' will carry the lyjo. over five miles from Oulverden. 'Those contracts are expected to be 'CG'/ip-lul-ed during the summer, and it in proposed to extend operations • cov-ciiiitc formation-work over practically (hp whole route to Waiau. The ■cxpomiiture on this line during the past ;iin;iricial year was £605 for sur-vey-work, and* for the current year a ,vt)io of £25,000 is proposed. •Wnimate Branch Extension: Con- ■ airlie Lion was commenced early in -J-ijJy. It is roposed to take a vote -of. .€15,000 on the current year's Es-tiiryiiH-'s.' - • ■ ■ '

Midland: The expenditure on the ■diilerent' sections during last financial year was as follows:—Nelson end,

£2293; Reefton end, £12,397; OtiraBealey, £93,872; Bealey-Cass, £28;----170; total, £136,732. For the current year votes are proposed as follows:—Nelson end, £20,000; Reef ton end, £4000; Otira-Bealey, £70,000; Bealey-Cass, £10,000; total, £10#,----000. ;■•.

; Otira Tunnel: The driving of the tunnel has continued steadily during the year under the direct supervision of the Department's engineers. At the Otira end very wet ground lias been met with, and progress has consequently been retarded. The work at this end is being done by <Tay labor, but at the Bealey end the cooperative system is m force, A steam plant has been installed at Otira to augment the electric power during periods of low-water flow at its source. During the twelve months ended June last the bottom heading was driven a total distance of. 34.29 chains.; There still remains;; to be driven 2 miles 23.83 chains between the Otira and Bealey headings, and the enlarged tunnels at either end are still 2 miles 61.5 chains beThe year has been one of slow progress owing to wet and unstable country being encountered, requiring' heavy timbering, which rendered it undesirable to open out the tunnel very far ahead of the lining-work. It is hoped that the worst of this class of country has now been passed, and that-the current year will show a bet-ter-record, of progress. Westport-Inangahua: During last financial year the expenditure on this line amounted to £15,337, and: to meet liabilities during the current year a vote of £18,000 is proposed. Greymouth-Point Elizabeth: The extension of this line, to serve the new Liverpool State coal-mine, was handed over to the Railway Department on 21st January last. The expenditure during the financial year reached £15,852, and expenditure which has come to charge since the end of the financial year will require a vote of-£3OOO for the current year. Otago Central: No expenditure came to charge against last year's appropriation, but for the current year a vote of £20,000 is proposed. ' Lawrence-Roxburgh: The expenditure during the. last financial year amounted to £9984, and for the current year a vote of £15,000 is proposed. Catlins-Waimahaka: The expenditure on this line during the past financial year was £17,780, and for the current year a vote of £20}000 is proposed.

A vote of £8000 to proceed with, the Heddon Bush Branch, when the question of route lias been decided appears on the Estimates. A vote of £10,000 is proposed for the OrepukiWaiau Extension, and £10,000 for the Balclutha-Tuapeka Mouth. In addition to the votes already mentioned, an appropriation of £5000 is required to provide for surveys of projected new lines of railway, and £90,000 for permanent-way materials, thus bringing the gross total appropriations for railway-con-struction purposes up to £960,000. During th© year the sum of £299,-

644 was spent on rolling-stock, tar- . paulins, pneumatic coaiing-cra«nes, ! Westingliouse brake, car-lighting, j 'petrol-car, and workshops machinery, ! The vote for the current year in- i eludes £500,000 under the heading of i "Additions to ope"n lines," of which amount about £300,000 will be spent: on new rolling-stock and workshops ; machinery, and £200,000 on various new works to be carried out by the , Working Railways Department during the current year.