History of the Scheme

Manawatu Times, Volume LIV, Issue 6887, 17 April 1929, Page 8

History of the Scheme

long controversy now SETTLED \ The story of the Palmerston North leviation scheme goes back to pre-war days, when the danger of accident at the dozen odd level crossings which the lines traverse through the town and the congestion of the shunting yards prompted the then general manager of railways, Mr E. H. Hiley, to report on itha necessity for a new station and yards. This was in 1914, and the recommendations were included in a statement to the House of Representatives by Sir William Herries. The subject was not officially reopened till, 1921 when a commission was set up, comprising Messrs. Hannay, MaTchbanks, and Miles, to consider two suggestions —a proposed deviation from Levin to Greatford of the Main Trunk line, or one from Longburn, just south of Palmerston North, to the northern suburb of Terrace End. The second proposal was endorsed but no action was taken. Three years later Sir Sam Pay and Mr Raven, in a comprehensive review of the railway needs of the Dominion, backed up the Levin-Greatford proposal, chiefly on the ground that the distance between Wellington and Auckland would thereby be shortened by nearly 15 miles. Then ensued a very pretty wrangle, but the upshot of the business was that the Coates Cabinet rejected this recommendation of the commission and the Palmerston North project was included in the great £5,000,000 scheme announced by Mr Coates on October 2, 1924, no mention being made of the rival proposition. The matter was regarded as urgent, for it was to be started —the first year of the eight years programme, simultaneously with the Wellington station yards, to cost over £1,000,000, the Auckland station and deviation (£l,500,000), the Lyttelton tunnel and Christchurch schemes, estimated to cost £500,000, and the Tawa Plat deviation, the estimate for which was £950,000. The total expenditure on the Palmerston North part of the programme was worked out at £390,000, to be allocated as follows: first and second years £IOO,OOO each year, third and fourth years, £95,000. On this business the chief engineer of Railways reported: “Palmerston North station yard is one of the most important links in , the

North Island Tailway system. Prom its position as the central distributing point for traffic from Wellington, Wairar'apa, Napier, Main Trunk, New Plymouth and Poxton, its importance will grow commensurately with the North Island traffic. The increase in through traffic requiring facilities for marshalling and sorting wagons for various linos and based on the incrcaso in the North Island, may be put at 100 per cent, in 12J years. The present yards are extremely congested and quite inadequate for the business. On the present site, improvements of any consequence cannot bo made without involving very considerable expenditure. With the proposed new yard, adequate facilities for an increasing traffic can be given and at the same time, the cost of working would be largely reduced. The estimated cost is £390,000 and as a set off the value of land released at the present station site would be say £150,000. At the Palmerston North Railway Facilities Commission it was estimated at £200,000. In addition, £50,000 will bp required for the deviation of the Napier line from Boundary road to Whakarongo.” This latter link was included in the tail end of the programme, with an equal expenditure in the seventh and eighth years. A further item was the rising of the grades between Palmerston North and Marton; by reducing the grade from one in 44 to one in 70, at a cost during the seventh and eight years of £30,000, ir. was calculated that 17 per cent of the capital cost would be saved annually. However, these minor matters not having been commenced, do not as yet come into the picture. The area to be covered by the new station and yards was just on 21 miles, the. station with miles of passenger plaltforms, being about 11 miles from the centre of the town. The yard? and locomotive shed were on a very up to date plan, the loco shed being on the round house principle. The work of circling the city from Longburn began v a small way in June, 1926, with 30 men, and has gone on steadily, the present number of 210 on the pay roll being near the pea&. These were working double shifts until the end of last month. Eighty-five per cent, of the men are married, with homes in Palmerston North. The grading of the line and laying of the service tracks has proceeded to within half a mile of Bunnythorpe road. At Milson’s line a large bridge with ramps has been completed. Five other overhead bridges are included in the plan of work. The Public Works statement of 1928, contained the following reference to the progress made: “The deviation (6J miles long) involves heavy earthwork. The country is very easy undulating in character and the areas required for passenger and goods yards are extensive, involving heavy cut and fill. The earthwork is now one-fourth complete; the’ overbridge construction necessary to carry road crossings over the deviation is on an elaborate scale, and of these bridges that on Milson's line, making provision for crossing eleven tracks, is complete.” There has, of course, been no actual constructionj of railway buildings, but with the commencement of the work the government began the establishment of a railway settlement at Milson and 60 houses wero constructed at an approximate cost of £630 apiece. The work tjb date has cost in the region of £215,000, and the latest estimate of the completed cost is £725,000.