DUNEDIN RAILWAY STATION.

North Otago Times, 13 November 1906, Page 1

DUNEDIN RAILWAY STATION.

[ » t By Telegraph. Dunedin, Nov. 12. The new railway station at Dunedin was officially opened to-day by the Premier. There was a large and representative gathering. The station has been in use for a fortnight, so that some of the novelty has worn oft, Mr Itonayne, the General Manager, handed Sir J. G. Ward a gold key with which to open the station. Sir Joseph, in addressing the assemblage. congratulated Dunedin on such a handsome and useful building. He spoke of the development of railway business, and quoted figures to show the wonderful progress. I-Ie referred to the concessions made by the Government to the users of the railways, and to the employees. He referred to the advantage of State ownership, and quoted a mass of figures tO' show tlife increase of traffic ontlie Biufl-Huiunui line. As to traffic in Dunedin, he said Christchurch was the only other station in the colony that had so many trains run- ! ning in and out per day, Christchurch had 104, and Dunedin 100. That was independent of ordinary andi special goods trains, which came and went mostly when people were asleep. As to the new station, the total cost, including land reclamation, equipment, etc., was £119.500. The saving to the colony by the centralisinc of the whole of the business would amount to nearly the whole of interest on the cost of the station. He acknowledged the services of the officers, who had been'connected with the work, and nraised. the staff. Incidentally the Premier said, in rcspcct to Wellington, that the Governmcnt had deferred improving the railway station because at some time in the future there must be a merging of the two services there. That meant that the Government would acquire the Manawatu line. At the conclusion of his address, at the Premier's invitation, large numbers entoied the buildings and inspected every part of them.