NEW RAILWAY LINES

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume 76, 7 August 1941, Page 6

NEW RAILWAY LINES

SOME SOON TO BE OPENED COMPLETION OF S.I.M.T. It is hoped to bring three fresh sections of railway lines into operation during the next six months. Complet on of the fourth, the South Island Mam , Trunk link, by tlie middle of 1942 is dependent on the full supply of raih being available when required, according to the annual statement of the Minister of Railwavs (Mr Semple) pre- ; sented to Parliament. "Progress b\ the Public Works Department in the construction of new ! railways has h* :*” -otarded during the vear bv the shortage of skilled and semi-skilled staff, and also by adverse ' weather conditions.” says the Minister. "Nevertheless. I am hopeful that the Kirikopuni-Dargavillc line and the new Dargaville Station will be brought into | full use about the end of tiie year, and ' that the Westport-Inangahua Junction , and Napier-Gisborne lines will be 1 available for traffic early in the New Year. The completion by about the middle of 1942 of the Wharanui-Par-nassus lin» ‘northern extension of the [ South Island Main Trunk Railway) is~ ! dependent upon the full supply ot rails being available when required. ”As a matter of war economy, the Government authorised in March last the suspension of work on the Palmerston North railway deviation.” The reoort makes no mention of the lifting of the rails and sleepers on the Glenhope-Kawatiri .section of the Nelson line. Presumably this was begun after the railway vear ended on 31st March.