TURAKINA RAILWAY DEVIATION

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 85, Issue 228, 27 September 1941, Page 4

TURAKINA RAILWAY DEVIATION

MUST STAND IN ABEYANCE

SHORTAGE OF RAILS AND SLEEPERS Because rails and sleepers are not available completion of the Turakina railway deviation will have to stand in abeyance. This was statjeyi in the House of Representatives yesterday by the Minister of Public Works, Hon. H. T. Armstrong, during the debate on the Public Works Statement. "Completion of the Turakina railway deviation is two years overdue,” said Mr. W. J. Polson (Opp.. Stratford). "It was to be finished in three years and it is now five years since it was started. The tunnels have been pierced and it is a good line. Put through it will relieve what is probably the worst grade in the North Island. All that is necessary is to lay the line and build the two railway stations required. One would hate imagined that sleepers would have been got before this, before the war began. One would have imagined that the rails would have been ordered far ahead. Because we have neither sleepers nor rails the loss to the Government, and to quote the Government's own estimate, is £30,000 a year. 1 imagine that with interest and other charges, *.ie loss is much greater than that. "I am informed, I do not know how accurately, that a number of rails were shipped to Gig South Island Mam Trunk railway.” Mr. Polson suggested that full use be made of used rails. Four and ahalf miles of track were being saved, he said. By making use of used rails in the South Island the deviation would be put through and the Government saved great loss. Hon. R. Semple (Minister of Railways and former Minister of Public Works): There has to be a general slowing down because of the war. Mr. Polson: I am aware of that, and that slowing down will continue until the war ends. Why not use used rails and when good rails come to hand replace the worn rails? The great waste involved in leaving £500,000 expenditure on the deviation unused, was criticised by Mr. H. G. Dickie (Opp., Patea). It was extraordinary, he said, that when the deviation would have haulage over a heavy grade that the tunnel snou.d he completed but no bridges built and no rails laid. The whole thing lay idle, costing, at least, £25,000 annually. Mr. Semple explained that some railway construction jobs were suspended because of lack of material. Some was coming to hand but it was still difficult to get sleepers and the department was experimenting with concrete as New Zealand timber would not hold the spikes. Concrete was suitable on straight lines but unsuitable on curves where more elasticity was needed. The Minister of Public Works (Mr. Armstrong) said that the deviation was an important work which had not been finished.

Replying to a suggestion that new rails intended for the North Island Main Trunk line be used on the deviation and existing rails be sent south, said that the rails were not of suitable type- . . “In any case,” added the Minister, "the South Island is not going to be robbed for the Turakina deviation. That district can better afford to wait than some parts of New Zealand which have no railway at all.”