RAILWAY PROGRESS

Otago Daily Times, Issue 23222, 21 June 1937, Page 10

RAILWAY PROGRESS

WELLINGTON'S NEW STATION THE OPENING CEREMONY PERFORMED BY GOVERNORGENERAL BIGGEST BUILDING IN DOMINION (Pee United Press Association) WELLINGTON. June 19.

Worthy of the Dominion's capital, Wellington's new railway station ws>«i officially opened this morning by the GovernorGeneral (Viscount Galway). Imposing as the structure appears in any circumstances, nature added to its grandeur to-day by bathing it in bright sunshine and providing a soft, blue sky as a background. After speeches by the Minister of Railways (Mr D. G. Sullivan), the Acting Prime Minister (Mr P. Fraser) and others, Viscount Galway was presented with a gold key by the architect, Mr W. Gray Young, and unlocked the main entrance door of the station, and also unveiled the commemoration stone recording the official opening.

The entrance hall was filled with -.nvjted guests, while crowds lined the approaches and the vicinity Those on the platform' included all the members of Cabinet, the Mayor (Mr T. C. A. Hislop), Sir Alfred Ranspme, a former Minister of Railways, representatives of local authorities and prominent citizens. At the conclusion of the ceremony, the guests were entertained at morning tea. The various amenities of the station were open for public inspection this afternoon, when guides were provided by the Railways Department. CO-OPERATION BETWEEN SERVICES Mr Frasei said that the building and. layout were unexcelled examples of the co-operation between the National Government and local bodies. It was fitting that Mr Forbes and Mr Coates, who took part in the initJaiion of the project, should bo thanked for their work. The. present Government believed that the railways had a great future. There must be provision for co-operation between rail, road and water transport. Congratulations were also extended by Mr Hislop, who mentioned that next week would see another important event —the opening of the Wellington—Auckland air service. Sir Alfred Ransom and Mr C. H. Chapman, M.P. for. Wellington North, also congratulated" all concerned. LANDMARK OF PROGRESS Viscount Galway said that it had been a matter of interest to him to read the history of the railways service«in New Zealand from the turning of the first sod in 1861, when the railway between Christchurch and Heathcote was commenced, to to-day, when another landmark had been reached in the history of the Dominion's railway progress. He had visited the new building a few clays ago, and had been greatly impressed with the magnificence of the structure as a whole, and with the completeness aind thoroughness of its construction. The new station would cater for increased Dominion production and transport for many years to come. It was fitting that the station had been completed in good time before the opening of the New Zealand Centennial Exhibition in 1940. If the railway service in future was to be an asset and not a liability, it must have the wholehearted supDort of the public, His Excellency then declared the building open, and unveiled the commemoration stone. A MONUMENT TO PROGRESS Mr Sullivan referred to Wellington's long wait for a new station. The new building, he said, was the largest ever erected in the Dominion. Work on it was begun in November, 1933, and the foundation stone was laid by the Duke of Gloucester in December, 1934, the whole work being completed in three years and a-half. The building itself covered an area of almost one acre and a-half, while the platforms had'an area of almost two acres and supnlied a total frontage of a mile. The building had 250 rooms, and the floor space was 185.000 square feet, with three-quar-ters of a mile of passages. A total of £120.000 had been paid in wages to workers on the job, and an equal amount in outside workshops and quarries. Mr Sullivan said although a full service of trains would commence to use the new station to-morrow, the changes which the new building made possible, were not yet complete, for there was the electrification of the Manawatu line to Paekakariki, and the Johnstonville line still to be carried through. He looked forward to a considerable increase in the service of rajlcars operating to and from the new station

Among innovations in the new station, Mr Sullivan mentioned the most up-to-date and best equinped nursery in New Zealand, wit" a fully-qualified Plunket nurse and kindergartener in charge.

The Minister stated that the railway recovery in recent year? in every feature of transnort activity had been most marked, indicating that whatever the railways had achieved in the oast for the de veloument and nroTess of the Do minion, would be. far exceeded in years to comft. It was this sound belief in the future service for the ppnole of the Dominion that the railway system bad exemplified that save him every faith »n 'he necessity and desirability of facilities hein«r provided such as the new building represented.