NEW RAILWAY WORKS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVI, Issue 20306, 13 July 1929, Page 10

NEW RAILWAY WORKS.

COST ABOVE ESTIMATES. OVER HALF MILLION EXTRA. STATIONS AND WORKSHOPS. [IIV TELEGRAPH. —SPECIAL REPORTER. ] WELLINGTON, Friday An up-Lo-dato statement on the expenditure on the new railway schemes ;it Auckland and Wellington to March 31 last was made by the Minister of Kailway, the Hon. W. B. Taverner, in the House of Representatives this afternoon. The work at Auckland, involving the complete rearrangement of the yard and the provision of a new station, goods shed, etc., was estimated to cost approximately £1,200,000. To the end of March about £760.000 had been spent. The tentative cost of the Wellington scheme, involving a complete rearrangement of facilities, was estimated at £1,075,000, and to the end of March the expenditure was £425,000, mainly in connection with reclamation and retaining walls.

With regard to workshops reorganisaation, the Minister said the 1925 estimates for the various schemes were as follows: Otahuhu, £464,000; llutt, £562,000; Addington, £270,000; Hillside, £400,000; interest during construction, £124,000; total £1,820,000. The estimated cost of tho electrification of the four main shops was £60,000. Tho fin.il costs to completion had now been ascertained to be as follows : Otahuhu, £586,554; Hutt, £777,912; Addington, £387,419; Hillside, £495,385; East Town, £32,189; electrification and lighting of new shops, £179,323; total £2,458,782. These figures reveal that the works in question ura now to cost £578,782 more than provided for in the original estimate.