£13,000,000 NEEDED.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 17344, 26 September 1924, Page 10

£13,000,000 NEEDED.

TO IMPROVE RAILWAYS. (Special to the “ Star.”) WELLINGTON, September 25. The serious disadvantage of the Rail- . way Department through inability to ; carry out the Hiley scheme of improvements are noted by the general manager in his annual report. He states that lack of adequate facilities not only i precludes the Department carrying out ; its obligations to the public but is a source of- constant anxiety to the management. The movement of traffic is greatly retarded, operating expenses greatly increased and congestion in the shunting yards involves damages to rolling stock and risk of injury to the staff, besides causing serious delay to the movement of commerce. The altered conditions which now obtain as a result of the increase in traffic since 1914 render it imperatively necessary not only to put in hand immediately the scheme outlined in 1914. modified to meet requirements based on more recent experience, but to make provision for the carrying out of a large scheme involving an expenditure of £13,000.000. The works involved must be carried out in their order of urgency and uninterruptedly if serious disorganisation of working is to be avoided. The programme of works included in the scheme, although comprehensive, embraces only works that are regarded as being essential for carrying on the operations of the Department and providing reasonable facilities for traffic. It does not, how ever, exhaust the list of works which are desirable in the interests of economy and public convenience. Many works not included in the general improvement scheme will require to be carried out coincident with the major scheme and as the financial resources of the Department will permit. Extensive additions to Auckland lines have caused a locomotive shortage and it is announced that it will be necessary to invite tenders for the manufacture of thirty-five class AB engines for early delivery. The capacity of the railway workshops, combined with the establishment of Messrs Price Bros., Thames, is barely sufficient to meet ordinary requirements created by wear and natural expansion of business, and leaves no margin to provide for the requirements of new lines or overtaking shortages in locomotive power created by other emergent circumstances. It is not practicable to increase, the capacity of existing railway workshops nor for Price Bros, to increase, their output. The locomotive building programme provides for 43 additional engines in 1925, of which 18 will be built in New Zealand and 25 imported.