PAEKAKARIKI TO PLIMMERTON COASTAL RAILWAY (REPORT OF ENGINEER-IN-CHIEF ON PROPOSED).

Appendix to the Journals of the House of Representatives, 1914 Session I, D-07

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1914. NEW ZEALAND.

PAEKAKARIKI TO PLIMMERTON COASTAL RAILWAY (REPORT OF ENGINEER-IN-CHIEF ON PROPOSED).

Return to an Order of the House of Representatives dated the 23rd July, 1914. Ordered, " That there be laid before this House the report of the Engineer upon the cost of making a level line railway round the rooks from Paekakariki to Plimmerton."—(Dr. A. K. Newman.)

Report by Me. R. W. Holmes, Engineer-in-Chief. Wellington - Manawatu Railway—Proposed Alternative Line between Wellington and Waikanae. Hon. Minister of Public Works, — Prior to the construction of the present railway the whole of the country between Wellington and Waikanae was explored, and several trial lines were surveyed. On the small scale tracing attached hereto are indicated the existing rail way between Wellington and the Upper Hutt, also that between Wellington and Waikanae, and lines of surveys made and marked respectively Nos. 1, 2, 3, and 4, part of No. 4 being ultimately adopted for the present railway. A glance at the plan will show that the constructed line is by far the shortest and most direct route between Wellington and Waikanae. The nexc shorter is probably chat marked No. 1, which leaves the Upper Hutt and joins in with the present line at Waikanae. This line, however, has to oliinb over a saddle about 1,400 ft. above sea-level, which height, however, is reduced by tunnelling to about 1,000 ft. Johnsonville, the highest point on the existing line, is about 500 ft. above sealevel. In addition to No. 1 route having to climb to the height mentioned, the plans show that the work of construction will be extremely heavy, and that very great difficulty would be experienced in locating a line with anything like the flat curvature necessary, and which can be obtained by modifications of the existing line. No. 3 route, which extends from Hay ward's on the Wellington-Hutt line to Pahautanui, is a practicable line, but as originally surveyed from Pahautanui northwards is, through passing over the Paekakariki Hill, impracticable north of Pahautanui. To avoid the Paekakariki Hill this route would have to follow the dotted line, joining the existing line at Plimmerton. A glance at the plan will show that this route is so much longer than the existing line as to be not worthy of consideration. Along the existing line between Wellington and Paekakariki there are two hills, Johnsonville being at the summit of one and Pukerua at the summit of the other. This latter hill can be easily avoided by constructing the line round the sea-coast-as indicated by crosses on che plan. This line would be longer, would be somewhat difficult to construct in a few places, and would be subjected to the corrosive action of the sea-spray as regards the maintenance of the rails. This line, although suffering from the disadvantages mentioned, would have a perfectly level grade, over which traffic could be handled quickly and with very little expense as regards locomotive charges. The present line between Wellington and Porirua can only be improved by lowering the summit level at Johnsonville by tunnelling. It is probable, however, that to effect any marked improvement and one worth consideration it will be necessary to adopt a tunnel not less than two miles in length. To construct this tunnel and to improve the gradients on each side would probably cost £350,000, the interest on which alone would amount to £14,000 per annum, or far more than assistant engines cost Co work the traffic over the hill. On the question of haulage, the construction of such a deviation or any of the deviations quoted between Hayward's and the Upper Hutt cannot be considered as businesslike propositions.

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