OTIRA TUNNEL

Southland Times, Issue 18929, 1 May 1923, Page 5

OTIRA TUNNEL

“A FIRST-CLASS JOB” • HIGH PRAISE FOR WORK DONE (Special to the Times.) CHRISTCHURCH, April 30. At the conclusion of the visit to the Otira tunnel on Saturday in connection with the electrification works, Mr L. Birks, chief electrical engineer to the New Zealand Government was asked his opinidn as to the quality of the work being done. Mr Birks, who spent a great amount of time in investigating all details of the work replied, “I think it is a first class job and the progress made is very satisfactory.” This state ment was made after Mr Birks, accompanied by members of the staff of the Public Works Department and the English Electrical Company had inspected the wiring and other parts of the equipment in various parts of the tunnel. That the works at Otira are far bigger in scope than the average person imagines was abundantly proved by the inspections undertaken dur ing the visit of Mr Evan Parry and Mr Birks. All the various departments, the power house, electric locomotives, batteries, s’gnalling plant, overhead electrical work”, auxiliary plant, and the tunnel work itself, require the constant care and attention of thoroughly expert staffs and every precaution must be taken to ensure the perfect safety of passengers. As the pioneer of electrification work in New Zealand, the English • Electric Company, is naturally determined to make the works at Otira a pronounced success. Trial after trial, under full working conditions will be made before a single passenger is taken through the tunnel. This necessity for taking every possible precaution may delay the opening of the tunnel for a short time, but it will be agreed by most people that such a course is preferable to an early opening attended by risks to the safety of passengers. While primarily, the visit to Otira was in connection with electrical installation, it revealed the very high quality of the work being done by the staffs of the Public Works Department. The tunnel when complete will be a work of which New Zea land will have cause to be proud.