RAILWAY PROGRESS

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXVI, Issue 23489, 28 October 1939, Page 12

RAILWAY PROGRESS

SOUTH ISLAND MAIN TRUNK £IO,OOO BELOW ESTIMATE [BY TELEGRAPH OWN CORKESPONDENT] WELLINGTON, Friday Except for general "cleaning up" work, the construction of the South Island Main Trunk railway is expected to be finished in 12 months. Slaking this announcement after an inspection of the work between Wharanui and Parnassus, the termini, the Minister of Public Works, the Hon. H. Semple, said that, provided rails could be supplied, the line would bo opened for traffic before tho scheduled time in 19-11. One of the most interesting jobs inspected in detail by the Minister was the portal at tho southern end of tho Amuri Bluff tunnel. When tunnelling was begun at that end the country was found to bo unsafe. The original route was under a gully, which was, proved to be of "porridgy" material. It was decided to open up the gully and build a portal tunnel —a tunnel out in the open and then back-covered. The poi'tuP has been built for five chains and, another chain and a-half lias to be built before the tunnel will enter tho ridge. "When that point is reached the tunnelling now in the onen will be covered with material by bulldozers. "Tho cost of the work ou the southern section, from Parnassus to tho Kahautara Biver, is about £IO,OOO less than was estimated, even when the increased cost of materials and the more expensive tunnelling than anticipated are taken into account," said Air. Semple.