NEW RAILWAY STATION AT THE BLUFF.

Otago Witness, Issue 2652, 11 January 1905, Page 33

NEW RAILWAY STATION AT THE BLUFF.

The new railway station at the Bluff was officially opened on Thursday (says the Southland Times), and amongst those participating in the c,eremony was the Hon. Sir J. G. Ward, Minister of Railways. In the course of his speech before declaring the station open, the Minister said it was not to be expected that everyone knew the advances made by the Railway Department during the last few years, or realised the additional money required to carry on the service, and a few figures which he would give must impress on his audience the tremendous development that was going on. The following- figures showed the increase of railway traffic and rolling stock accommodation in 1904 as compared with 1895: — Passengers, 4,400,805; season tickets, 101,296; parcels, 353,819 ; horses, 3444 ; carriages, 1306; dogs, 13,299; drays, 1635; cattle, 66,545; sheep, 2,236,457; pigs, 26,976; chaff and lime (tons), 95,590; wool, a decrease of 2012; firewood, 29,964; timber, 311,134; grain, 431,897 ; merchandise, 280,206 ; minerals, 886,406— t0tal tonnage, 2,024,185; total revenue, £1,029,790. For the Southland section the following figures gave a comparison of the traffic for the years ended 1894 and 1904 (1894 figures given first):— Tickets issued, 217,627—429,257; season tickets issued, 1802 — 4169 ; parcels, 47,023—83,794; horses, 684—1248; dogs, 2178—2751; carriages^ 17—83; cattle, 3973— 9702; calves, 115—561; sheep, 183,450— 323,034; pigs, 2894—3037; firewood (tons), 9468—14,630; chaff, etc. (tons), 4368—12,168; wool (bales), 73,715-70,470; timber (feet),

19,280,250 — 30,407,850; grain (tons), 78,328 — 124,509; merchandise (tons), 51,051— 67,478— t0tal tonnage forwarded, 237.125—352,238; total revenue, £147,147— £224,383. The decrease in wool was due to the fact that there had been considerable diversion to other places, but the loss had been more than replaced by increases from other industries. In 1894 the total standing room available at the Bluff accommodated only 329 waggons, and the alterations effected now allowed for 760 waggons without inconvenience. The eicling accommodation had risen from 10,220 ft to 13,400 ft, and the length of the platform from 253 ft to 600 ft, which would be fully taxed on an important day. The cubic contents of the old building were 26.600 ft; of the new builaV ing, 72,600 ft.