TAWA FLAT RAILWAY

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LXII, Issue 18763, 20 July 1935, Page 15

TAWA FLAT RAILWAY

REASON FOR EARLY USE TIME AND EXPENSE SAVED One of the double lines on the Tawa Flat railway deviation from Wellington to the north will be available lor use by goods trains from Monday next, and the first train to be run over the deviation is due to steam out of Wellington in the evening. The change-over is being made now because operating costs ' and running times on the new line will be substantially less than those of the present line via Johnsonville, and the Railway De partment is naturally anxious to secure these benefits as early as possible. Some idea of the great advantage which tho new route offers over tbe existing line will be realised if a comparison of tho grades, lengths and running times on the two routes is made. The existing lino over the present route via Johnsonville has steep grades, the average rise being one in 40 from the Wellington side and one in 66 in the opposite direction from Tawa Flat. The grades on the deviation are one in 110 on the Wellington side and one in JOO on the Tawa Fiat side.

The new line is over two miles shorter than the existing one, and the maximum heights to which engines have to haul the trains on the. respective routes are reduced from 619 ft. to 297 ft, The shorlei' distance and easier gradients on the deviation will permit a. big reduction, in the running times of goods trains. At present it takes from 40 to 50 minutes to traverse the Wellington Tawa That section, but 20 minutes will he sufficient when the change-over is made.

'The Tawa Flat deviation will not he available for passenger trains of the electric service until the new Wellington station is brought into use. It is expected that the complete change-over to both station and deviation will he made about April, 1937.