THE TE ARO RAILWAY.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXIX, Issue 8830, 19 March 1892, Page 5

THE TE ARO RAILWAY.

INTERVIEW with THE COMMISSIONERS.

[BY TJSL3GRAPH. —OWN CORRESPONDENT.] Wellington, Friday. The following is the statement of the Commissioner,) given to a reporter of tho Press who interviewed them this morning on the subject of the plans for the Te Aro railway. The Commission expect a considerable passenger traffic, and have asked for starting and arrival platforms such as are necessary to enable convenient time-table arrangements to bo made for suburban traffic between Wellington and the Lower Hutt, in which all the travelling public are interested. They have asked also for properly protected platforms on account of the nor'-west winds which carry the salt spray across the reclamation. They consider that a platform open to the nor'-west gales would often be unusable by passengers. The reserve made by the Te Aro Reclamation Act was for a passenger station only. Th ) question of a goods station was discussed when the Act was passed by the Kngineer-sn-Chief and the Government, and proposals for a goods station were then negatived. A second goods station is objected to because it would divide the Wellington traffic, thereby increasing the expenses throughout the entire lino from Wellington to Eketahuna by diminishing the proportion of paying to paying loads carried, and us no new business could be expected from the extension the net profits would tend to bo diminished. There has been at least £50,000 expended on the existing stations, which is laid out with a view to extension northward on a largo scale when required. The proposed site at Te Aro is rsofc capable of extension, being shut in by Mount Victoria at one end, and by tho approaches to tho wharf and street at the other end, and as tho position would bo very unworkable and inconvenient, both from a railway and public point of view, it is considered that if tried it would have eventually <,o be abandoned. Tho Commissioners suppose that the funds voted by Parliament are voted to be used subject to the provisions of existing statutes. The Railway Act provides that tho Commissioners shall be the authority to decide on and approve tho position, character, and suitableness of all station works, and they suppose that Parliament voted the money for the Te Aro Railway subject to that provision. They think that as the division of the Wellington goods traffic will cause a permanent increase in tho expense of the railway, and prove inconvenient, it should not be carried out.