NORTH ISLAND TRUNK RAILWAY.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 13889, 29 April 1907, Page 3 (Supplement)

NORTH ISLAND TRUNK RAILWAY.

WORK PROGRESSING SPLENDIDLY. AUCKLAND, April 17. ' A commissioner visiting the Main Trunk railway works, in his report, to tho Auckland Railways League, says: —"'The statement or a recent Chrisichurcli correspondent that the lino will not lie finished for at least Hirco y<\trs "was sn widely published that I look a running trip ovef tho works at tho' north end last week to sec if my information was wrong, and fhe end of this great work still in tho far future. lam pleased to say I,hat I found 'he work proceeding splendidly, and a most confident opinion was ■ expressed all round that the workers had ;i comparatively easy job to finish right through by the end of 1903. Last month they tumbled over 11,000 yards of earth into one of the cuttings on the ' Spiral.' This must be about a New Zealand record, ami it sho'.vs good management and skill to put that amount of debris into one Ixinlo without the aid of steam. It also shows how the difficult problems of the engineer-' ing stall' have mot are lieing handled. The whoi'e of the works on.the 'Spiral' banks, cuttings, and tunnels aro well in hand, and aro being so worked that thev .will all be finished just about the same time. Given good woathor. I am satisfied that in August next, (lie great circle will be ready for tho metals, and then there will be a clear run right on to the great Makatotc viaduct and beyond. This great work and its sister viaduct at the Maugatui-o-tco will be finished and out. of Hio hands of tho contractor before next Christmas, and by that time tho rails will be at. Makatot'e at tho north end and Ohakune on the south side. There will then lie a. gap of a. liltln owr 12 miles between the vail heads. Auckland people do not realise, nor, in fact, does anyone hut those actually on the work, how close through rail communication is with Wellington. Cornplele confidence' is shown all along "tho 'front' that any Aucklanders or Wollingtonians can make all arrangements to spend (lie Christmas' after next, in either city with the greatest confidence, and mako tho whole trip by rail on a railway properly open for traffic. . Bv February next, or possibly early in March, tlio rails will reach Boronito, and then the gap will only te about eight miles in.extent."