NORTH ISLAND TRUNK RAILWAY.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXIV, Issue 8082, 24 September 1887, Page 5

NORTH ISLAND TRUNK RAILWAY.

Mr. W. N. Blair, Assistant Engineer-in« Chief, arrived in town from Waikato on Thursday night, and is staying at the Northern Club. He came over the North Trunk line from Wellington in March last, and went down again from Auckland to Marton. This was the first time the trunk line had been travelled over continuously. This time Mr. Blair has come from Napier, accompanied by Mr. Stewart, District Engineer for Wauganui. They left Napier on the Bth, and came inland by Patea to the Hautapu Valley, where they struck the North Island Trunk line and followed it up to Te Kuiti. The first part of the journey to Murimotu was very rough, being undertaken in the face of snow and sleet storms, —and since then, with the exception of flooded rivers and bad roads, the trip was tolerable. The track is cut along the line nearly ali the way through, and in the summer months it will be possible to ride along the line all the way. At the Marton end of the line up to Hunteriville the work is almost complete, and the line will be open in a tew months. Another contract is also ready (or advertising, at that end. Some of the principal difficulties! have occurred in the ltimgitikei and the Hautapu Valley. Several survey parties sent up to set out the line, and ascertain nature of works and best route attainable, have fulfilled their mission. The next most important part of the whole line is the descent from Waimarino to the Upper Wanganui Valley. Several lines have been run down, and here also the nature of the works and line are pretty well known. From Porotorau tuunel southwards, the surveys are also being made to Tauraranui, on the Wangarei Kiver. The tunnel work, after a considerable number of delays, is now being prosecuted with vigour. Rapid progress is being made, the ground beiug favourable, and in the course of a week or two • half the tunnel will he pierced. Between the tunnel and Waitete is a gap of ten miles, called the Mokau section, which is nearly ready for contract. The Waitete sectiOD, which has been in progress for some time, has been pushed on with great energy, some two hundred and fifty men being on the work. Quito large townships are rising up, Doth at Waitete and Te Kuiti. Tha principal work on the Waitete sectien is a viaduct 450 feet in length and 100 feet high, to be made of iron. The raw material is on the way from England, but the bridge is to be manufactured in the colony. The Te Kuiti section has been officially inspected by Mr. Blair, and as soon as the station buildings are finished, which will he in two or three weeks, the line to Te Kuiti will be opened for regular traffic.