MIDLAND RAILWAY LINE

New Zealand Herald, Volume LX, Issue 18396, 11 May 1923, Page 8

MIDLAND RAILWAY LINE

FORTNIGHT TRAFFIC BLOCK.

TWO SLIPS TO CIRCUMVENT.

ROAD ROUTE IMPASSABLE.

fBY TELEGRAPH. —PRESS ASSOCIATION.] CHRISTCHURCH. Thursday. "Railway communication with Arthur' 3 Pass may be restored in a fortnight's time," stated Mr. A. J. McCredie, district railway engineer. "A good deal depends upon the weather. If the rain stops, it may be possible to do the work somewhat earlier, while if it continues, communication may not be restored for a longer period." "What do you think of the position beyond the big break at Otarama "Worse than I expected," Mr. McCredie replied. "At No. 8 tunnel it is just possible for a man to squeeze through the opening in the obstruction which blocks the mouth of the tunnel. In reply to a further question, Mr. McCredie stated he hoped to have the washout between tunnels Nos. 9 and 10 repaired in a week's time. The break was quite as long as that at Otarama (132 ft.) but tho gulf below was only half as deep, somewhat over 30ft. A deviation ■would not bo necessary. In regard to the deviation at Otarama, Mr. McCredie stated tho new line would be taken 35ft. inside the edge of the gulf formed by the big slide. This would be about 70ft. from the old line, which hangs suspended across the gulf. To construct the deviation, it would be necessary to make a cutting' 10ft. deep through the side of the hill. Questioned as to the possibility of road communication with Arthur's Pass, Mr. McCredie stated in his opinion it was absolutely impossible. The quickest way of getting to the West Coast from Christchurch was by way of Wellington and Greymouth. Repair work has started at the Otarama slip. So that the work may be carried on with all despatch, arrangements have been made to send a relief train from Greymouth through Arthur's Pass tunnel. Operations can then be put in hand at both ends of tho series of slips.

OTHER COMMUNICATIONS.

BREAKS NORTH AND 4 SOUTH.

RAIL, ROAD, AND BRIDGES.

[BY TELEGRAPH. —PRESS ASSOCIATION.] CHRISTCHURCH. Thursday. The Waiau bridge is now completely broken in two, and communication with Parnassus is stopped. The loss of the Waiau bridge will be very, serious to motorists, as the river is one of the most dangerous and difficult in Canterbury, and lies on the direct route to Cheviot.* Before the bridge was opened many cars used to be held up at the fprd, where a, horse and cart were used to ferry passengers across. Even when the weather clears the Railway Department will be faced with serious difficulty when it comes to the work of repairing the breaks on the Wai-para-Parnassus branch. _ The line is 44 miles in length, and it goes over the Hurunui and Waiau Rivers as well as over smaller streams. Reports indicate that the rails will have to be relaid over various stretches. Scouring by flood water still goes on, and the foundations of various bridges have been undermined. There is a slip near Scargill, but the worst fall of earth has taken place between Ethelton and Tonmore. Several hundred tons of earth have been carried away. The rails underneath this huge pile, of debris are very likely to have been either bent or broken. Repairs will therefore be a matter of weeks. All road communication with Ashburton is entirely cut off, stated Mr. Hawkes, secretary of the Canterbury Automobile Association, this morning. The Selwyn ford on the Main South Road is still impassable, and the alternative road by way of the Ellesmero bridge cannot be used owing to the approaches to the bridge being washed away. The only means of communication remaining is by the railway, which has not been affected. Repairs on the Southbridge railway line, where the bridge was down, and on the north line, as far as Sefton, have been carried on very expeditiously, and, unless there are more floods, the services, which have been restored, will be maintained, though permanent repairs will take some time.