MAIN TRUNK LINE

New Zealand Mail, Issue 1751, 27 September 1905, Page 2

MAIN TRUNK LINE

WELLINGTON - AUCKLAND CONNECTION. GOVERNMENT’S PROGRAMME. £300,000 VOTED THIS YEAR. The Minister for Public Works, in his Statement, mentions that the gross expenditure upon the North Island Main Trunk Railway (including the value of permanent way materials issued to the line) during the year amounted to £154,436, namely, £136,372 out of the ordinary construction vote, and £18,064 out of tho vote for permanent way materials. A larger expenditure will be required this year, and a vote of £300,000 is, therefore, asked for. In view of the New Zealand International Exhibition which is to bo held next year, tho Minister states, so that the information may bo circulated for the benefit of likely visitors during the exhibition season, that the Government anticipates that either prior to the

opening of the exhibition, or during the season, it will be practicable to take tlie through journey from Auckland to Wellington hv tlie route of the North. Island Main Trunk Railway, and also to travel by road and rail in one day from Grey mouth or Hokitika to Christchurch. The programme at present in . course of execution and in contemplation for the North Island Main Trunk line provides for the rails at tlie north end reaching the Waimarino Plain, and probably up to the site of the Makatote Viaduct, by the date referred to. By the same date the rail-head at the southern end should he at Waiouru. From Waiouru to Raetihi a mail-coach road already exists, and the railway service road between Raetihi and Makatote will be completed, so that a coach, could travel from rail-head to rail-head. PROGRESS OF THE WORK. At the northern end the rail-head has been advanced to Owhango, 190 miles from Auckland. The formation is complete for four miles further, and is m hand as far as and a little beyond Pukorimu, 198 miles from Auckland. The. works on this section are rather heavy, and include two tunnels one nearly five chains and the other nineteen chains in length. Beyond, this point the service road is in course of construction. The formation has already reached the edge of the Waimarino plateau, and is being pushed forward to the site of the Makatote viaduct, so as to facilitate the work of erecting that structure. The contract for the Makatote viaduct was let to Messrs. J. and A. Anderson, of Christchurch, in June last, for the sum of £53,369. Though both longer and higher than the Makohine viaduct, the structure at Makatote will not be of so difficult or costly a character. The principal reasons for this are the shorter spans and the safer material on which to build the foundations. At the former the foundations were m papa, and necessitated the use of enormous concrete monoliths, while at the latter the material is much harder, and less work and expense are necessary. The longest spans at Makatote will be lOOrt, whereas at Makohine they were 247 ft. At the southern end platelaying between Taihape and Mataroa is in hand, and ballasting has been begun. The “heading” through the Mataroa tunnel has been finished for some time, and the work of enlarging and lining is being vigorously pushed on, the parties working night and day. As soon as the Im- 1 ing of this tunnel is finished, the platelaying on the section to Turangarere will be put in hand, the formation of that section being now well advanoed. Work is also in hand on both the Waiouru and Murimutu sections, and preparations are being made for taking, in hand a further section of the unfinished portion of this railway during tlie coming summer. The number of men at present employed on the line exceeds thirteen hundred, and this number will be increased as soon as carting can be resumed. The surveyed line of the railway in the neighbourhood of Raetihi is about seven miles distant from the Raetihi township. The department has been urged to deviate the line so as to pass through Raetihi; but, as it is desirable that the Main Trunk railway between Auckland and Wellington should be constructed by the shortest and most direct route, the Minister could not recommend the proposed deviation. A trial survey will, however, be made to ascertain the cost of connecting with Raetihi by means of a branch line, which branch line could ultimately be extended to Pipiriki if thought necessary. The construction of the service road to connect the works at the Auckland and Wellington ends will also_ be proceeded with during the ensuing summer.

THE MIDLAND VOTE. £IOO,OOO PROPOSED. The total expenditure on the Midland railway last year was £55,468. This year, according to the Public Works Statement, a larger vote will be necessary, and an appropriation of £IOO,OOO is therefore proposed. The contract for the Staircase viaduct and Broken River bridge is now being carried out. The contract time for completion expires on October 12th, but the work is not likely to be finished for some little time. The Minister is, however, urging the contractors to use every expedition in finishing. The instructions issued to the departmental officers are that the rails must be laid across Staircase and up to and across tho Broken River bridge by the commencement of the exhibition season, and a good service road is in course of construction from Broken River to the Cans. It will, therefore, be possible to rail passengers from Christchurch to the west side of Broken river, leaving a coach journey of only forty miles from there to Otira, which, as already stated, will enable the through journey to be accomplished in one day. In addition to the above, the Otago Central railway should be completed to OJydo by the date mentioned, thus placing further facilities in the way of tourists visiting the cold lake scenery of the Middle Island.