S. Island Railway Will Cost £2,862,000 To Complete

Northern Advocate, 30 November 1937, Page 8

S. Island Railway Will Cost £2,862,000 To Complete

[Per Press Association. Copyright.'] WELLINGTON, This Day. 'P'HE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES LAST NIGHT PASSED THE 4 PUBLIC WORKS ESTIMATES. WHEN THE HOUSE ADJOURNED, THE PRIME MINISTER, THE RT. HON. M. ,T. SAVAGE, ANNOUNCED THAT THE ELECTORAL AMENDMENT BILL WOULD EE CONSIDERED TO-DAY.

A large' part of the discussion was devoted to railways construction, and. in reply to questions raised by the Leader of the Opposition, the Hon. A. Hamilton, the Minister of Public Works, the Hon. R. Semple, said the main South Island railway line was costing £30,000 a mile to build.

Under the late Government, ho said, the Napier-Wairoa lino had. cost £39,000 a mile, and the Northland line £75,000 a mile.

Under Estimated Time

Replying to a question by Mr H. S. S. Kyle (Oppsn., Riccarton), Mr Semple said the revised estimate of the cost of completing the South Island Main Trunk railway was £2,862,000. The estimated time for the completion of the line was four years, but the engineers considered that if they could get the necessary steel, etc., a year could be knocked off that time.

Mr Kyle asked the Minister if the Government still intended to place the new Christchurch railway station on the site occupied by the present station. He thought that perhaps it might be advisable to place it at Addington, where the line joined the north main trunk line.

He also asked if the Tawa Flat deviation in Wellington were proving as great a saving as the last Government considered it would be.

Palmerston North Deviation

The Minister of Railways, the Hon. D. D. Sullivan, replying to a question by Mr. H. G. Dickie (Opposition— Patea), concerning the Government’s intention regarding the completion of the Palmerston North railway deviation, said a commission of officers had examined the problem and their report definitely supported the deviation.

The Minister said he had also investigated the matter personally and had come 'to the same conclusion. Sooner or later the present railway yards site would have to be transferred, and. if it were not done now, it would have to be done in the future, probably at greater cost. With reference to the Christchurch railway station, he referred to a suggestion that the line running through the city be raised to eliminate numerous level crossings. He thought that this suggestion had really been dropped. In any case, the price would be prohibitive, the cost amunting to some £7,000,000 or £8,000,000.

Christchurch Station Site.

Speaking of Mi'. Kyle’s suggestion that the station site should be placed at Addington, he thought it desirable to have the station as near as possible to the heart of the city. Personally, ho thought a mistake had been made in shifting the Auckland station site. It had. been decided, and all arrangements had boon made, for the extension of the present station site for the new station. The necessary land had been acquired and the new station would junction up at about the eastern end of the present station. He considered that would be best for the convenience of the community. They were almost ready to start out

on some phases of the work in connection with the new station.

Tawa Deviation.

Concerning the Tawa deviation, the Minister said they could, rest assured that it had proved quite up to all expectations. In answer to a further question by Mr. J. Hargest (Opposition—Awarua), he said railcars would certainly be used in the South Island. In fact, they would be used wherever it was possible to use them. Rail-cars cost about £BOOO each and the running charges were about 1/- per mile. They were proving very popular indeed.

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