RAILWAY LINE MENACED

Taranaki Daily News, 29 November 1926, Page 9

RAILWAY LINE MENACED

SUBSIDENCE ON WEST COAST. By Telegraph.—Press Association. Greymouth, Last Night. Traffic on the Midland railway line at the Greymouth end continue to be menaced by the subsidence of the bank of the Grey River at Omoto, causing the line to fall. Trouble of this nature is of long standing at the place in question, but the present subsidence, which is due to a “greasy back” movement in the gully, began at the time of the recent heavy floods and has continued since. In the meantime a ballast train and 60 men have every day been engaged depositing gravel at the locality, but this is evidently ineffective. Last evening at 7 o’clock the subsidence increased rapidly, being faster than the gang could make good with fresh gravel, the result being the suspension of the late train service in that district. This morning the line is four feet at least below the normal level. To-day two ballast trains and extra gangs are working. It is hoped, therefore, that traffic may be maintained to-morrow, but it is apparent that the river is eroding and that other measures arc required to end the subsidence, namely, either cutting a new channel and thereby removing the river's course some distance or a tunnel for a new railway route into the town.