PROGRESS ON THE MAIN TRUNK.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLIV, Issue 13473, 25 June 1907, Page 5

PROGRESS ON THE MAIN TRUNK.

»— •..-. : , AUCKLAND TO WELLINGTON OVERLAND. END OF THE WORK IN SIGHT. Mb. Blow, Under-Secretary for Public Works, arrived in Auckland from Wellington on Saturday, having come by way of the Main Trunk line. In course of conversation with a representative of -the Herald yesterday, Mr. Blow explained '"".■ that his object in coming to Auckland was so that he would be in the possession of first-hand information about the work by the time Parliament met. . "I left Wellington on. Wednesday," said Mr. Blow, "and stayed at Taihape. On Thursday night I stayed' at Ohakune, and on Friday night at Taumarunui. 1 went over the :'. : , .whole of the works, and saw what was be- * ing done. At Rauriinu spiral the big tun- : nel is finished, and excellent progress is •~ being made with the Makatote viaduct: The foundations are in, and part of the i structure is up." - ' . • ; "What is now the distance between rail- , head and railhead?" Mr. Blow was asked. "At the present moment it is 28 miles, ] which distance is 'bridged' by coach, running daily. Even now it is practicable ( to travel overland from Auckland to Wei- ; lington, and a" party of Auckland members ( of Parliament left here .. by this I '.'," route for Wellington this morning. 1

;.• As our railway stock in '. the terior is rather rough, we made arran; ■'/'."'' merits with the Railway Department to hi 1 • ■ several of their carriages placed at the d , posal of the party. We shall very shor . ! be laying rails between Ohakune and Ran tatu, which will reduce the intervening d /, tance to 24 miles. This will be dc within the next three months. In S< tember or October next we shall commer laying the rails from Raurimu up the spi: : to Makatote, ■ and that- will reduce the d tance to 12. miles. This should be co; pleted by Christmas. I have already "-1 • ferred to the contractors for the Makatc viaduct. Messrs. Anderson have the co : ■■" , tract for the Manganui-a-teao also. Th< / . estimate that both works will be finish* by December or January next. If th; estimate proves correct, we shall then 1 able to lay the rails from Makatote to Hor pito, which will reduce the distance b tween railhead and railhead four miles—wh« • the rails reach the Hapuawhenui viaduci where those linking north with south ai .', likely to be laid. ' ■ "Then you think the Minister's promise that the line will be completed by the en " of 1908, will be fulfilled?" _ . • ! Why, certainly, and trains already rur '."■•,-. ning. The distance between Auckland an Wellington is 426 miles. The mail trai will accomplish that distance in 20 hour \ at first, but when the line is consolidated and in thorough working order, I daresa the, time will be reduced by an hour. Th train will. leave Auckland at about ,fou p.m., and reach Wellington by noon nex day, - giving passengers for the South seve ..!■•■■■ ral hours in Wellington, and enabling then to. catch the Southern steamer, leaving a eight p.m. The return mail train wil leave Wellington at noon, and reach Auck . .land in time.for letters to be sorted an< sent out by the first delivery. This wil give a 48 hours' mail service between Auck land and the Bluff, as. against about thro days and a-half, as at present. , The rail - way fare, second class, will be about £! between Auckland and Wellington, via th< Main Trunk. At present the fare is foi second rail and saloon steamer, by th< .;.'..■ West, Coast route, £2 ; ss : lid. ;' Sleeping cars on the Main Trunk service will be ex- ;.' '• tra. They are extra all over the world— to the Continent and in America. " I think the rout© will be a very attractive one," Blow added, " for the trains will be independent of the weather. We shall have a little snow in winter, for th« :^: ; line rises,' 2000 ft. but I don't think it will ever.be sufficient to interfere . with traffic. ... ' 'I came through in the winter, and saw foi '- '. myself what it was like. Meteorological information vof the country has ■ been collected and noted. Apart from the question of seasickness—a sufficient inducemeni ■•'. for, so many people to travel overlandthere will /be the great saving of time. Passengers leaving Auckland at two p.m. by the West. Coast now reach the capital by 7.20 p.m. next day, and have no time ' to spare, if they purpose catching the Southern boat." * Questioned as to the scenic attractions oi the route, Mr. Blow said that,-unfortu-nately, the mail, train would .pass through the best of the scenery, at least by the ■ Central Mountains, at night time; but anyone wishing to see the district by day would require three days. "There will, of course, be other trains on the Main Trunk besides the mail. 1 There is already an : accommoda-tion-house at Waiouhi, and I have no doubt .. ! a similar house wil! be erected at Waima- . *'■■;; rino Plains, so that the great central range of mountains and the country around Lake Taupo could be visited from Waimarino. ; ;l and so the tourist could return to Auckland via Eotorua, or vice versa. ' There appears ; to.be a great future before that part of the country, so far as the tourist traffic is concerned." , < - • -;:. : ;-