EAST COAST RAILWAY.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XLIX, Issue 16174, 10 July 1923, Page 6

EAST COAST RAILWAY.

THE WAI 111-ATIIEN REE SECTION. The Waihi Telegraph states: — While it is now quite clear that the forecast' made some time back by the Minister for Public Works, Hon. J. G. Coates, that the Waihi-Katikati section of tho East. Coast Main Trunk railway line would probably be available for traffic by the end of the present year or, at latest, early in 1924, will not ho borne out, inspection of the work in progress indicates that the portion between Waihi and Athenree is in an advanced state.

Spoken to as to the probable date of completion of this'stretch, the engineer in charge, Mr. Dauber, said he was not in a. position to make any definite statement, but the investigations made by a representative of the Telegraph gave the impression that, ini the' absence of any unforeseen circumstances, there is reason to expect to. find the lines down to Athenree well before June, 1924. All the concrete piers for the bridges between the two points have been erected except itn ono instance- in the gorge and at the Ohinenum river bridge, while praeticallv all other heavy work has been completed. In the course of a, month to six weeks a. start will )o made to lay the permanent rails from the Waihi end, and the first stretch will extend from the Waihi railway station to Adams Street. Tliis portion will be used by the Department as a, slocking ground for the many requirements in connection with the further extension of the line, which will ho proceeded with as soon a a possible after the completion of the Oliinemuri and Adams Street bridges. Beyond Athenree the engineering difficulties, at least so far as brideo work is concerned, will not be so great as on this end, and although there will be quite a. number of callings and large quantities of earth to be removed, progress should be morespeedy, especially in view of the fact that. a. steam shovel will he available for much of tho work.

The construction of the line from A then rev? to the fourteen-mile peg, some two miles this side of Katiknti, will be carried out under existing conditions ato labor and control, but from thence on the contract system, recently referred tr bv the Minister for Public Works, will he introduced, and presumably will continue! on to Tauranga. It was announced some time ago by Mr. Coates that plans and specifications for extensive contracts were being prepared by the Department’s officers, and it is anticipated that it will not be long before tenders will be called for certain of the works. Already it is understood that experts, representing) likely tenderers, some from firms of considerable m.mni tiude, have been inspecting the route with a view to tendering.

It is presumably from the fourteenmile peg that (fie Minister looks for a speeding up of construction work, a matter to which ho referred in a recent reply to the Auckland Railways’ and Development! League, -urging more rapid progress. At the same time, it is to be hoped that whom the winter months are over Mr. Coates will also find it possible to increase the working sta r f on the Athonree-Katikat>i section of tho line, as onco the connection is completed between Waihi and Katikati there will l ,r > extensive) traffic, particularly in' stood" required for settlers and in production for consumption in Waihi township. As to the tiroej likely to lc occupied in laving the rails from Kaitknti, nothing definite can for tho moment be said, though some idea should bo obtained when the tenders are called for tho hi" contract work, as in such eases it is customary to fix a limn limit for completion. ' It, however, bareMv sewiprobablo that Tauranoa and Waihi will bo linked up inside) r-t Ovo- io five years.