EXPRESSES DELAYED

Sun (Auckland), Volume IV, Issue 1005, 23 June 1930, Page 1

EXPRESSES DELAYED

SLIP ON MAIN TRUNK LINE FALL NEAR TE KUITI The Main Trunk line was blocked for several hours on Saturday afternoon, when a shp occurred in a cutting between. Puketutu and Kopaki, south of Te Kuiti. Though the slip occurred about 4.30 p.m., the was not cleared until almost two o’clock yesterday morning. The greatest difficulty was the removal of a large boulder, explosives having to be used for the purpose. Only two important trains were affected by the slip, the Daylight Limited express, and the afternoon express from Wellington. The Limited passengers were transferred to a train on the opposite side of the slip, this train arriving at Auckland at 1.50 yesterday morning, nearly three hours late. Though the line was cleared when the afternoon express arrived, the shunting of carriages from the Daylight Limited on the Taumarunui side of the slip caused a delay of about three-quarters of an hour, the express arriving at Auckland about 7.30 yesterday morning, instead of 6.41. All the traffic on the portion of the line affected was suspended during clearing operations, and later trains passed through at reduced speed. Passengers on the Daylight Limited suffered some discomfort. Extra carriages had been added at Te Kuiti, but as there w T ere no Main Trunk carriages available, the passengers had to do without steam-heating, in addition to the walk from one side of the slip to the other. The slip is believed to have been the result of the heavy rain in the district during the past few days.