WHANGAREI GAP

Northern Advocate, 28 January 1922, Page 5

WHANGAREI GAP

IN RAILWAY LINE.

j TO BE CLOSED QUICKLY.

TWELVE MONTHS' WORK.

to "Northern Advocate.") WELLINGTON, This Day.

Some details of the railway lines being temporarily stopped and those ibeing vigorously pressed on were given 7>y the Hon. J. G. Coatcs in the House last night. Taking first the North Auckland line, he said that to complete the conoiection from Huarau to W]ia» n-garei would require £300,000. It was proposed immediately to get all heavy construction work out of the way. On jthe Whangarei branch Waiotira was tho connecting point with the main tnunk 3iiie. It went from there 011 to Kirikopuni and from Whangarei on to Kaifcohe. It was all excavated and laid

with rails, end only light construction "work remained.

The Mareretu tunne 1 was already under way. The Golden Stairs tunnel was started, and should be 'completed in twelve months' time. The line would 6hortly be ready for Public Works traffic, and in another twelve anonths' time it should be passible to hand it ove>r to the Railway Department. The jplant and material could than be 'removed to other works. Another section ■would then be attacked and completed. What that line would be wtis a matter to be decided. Meantime his view was that other'lines should be stopped, save this. The branch line from Waiotira to jKirikopuni had been stopped, as had the Waipu branch. Wiith the exception of a little work at Oman a everything had ceased with the object of closing the Whangarei gap.