D.-l

48

The sections included in the lines opened during the year are as follow:— M. chs. Hurunui-Waitaki Railway— Waipara to Waikari .. .. 9 10 Lincoln-Little River Branch— Lincoln to Birdling's Flat .. 16 72 Ashburton Branch— Westerfield to Anama .. 8 39 Palmerston-Waihemo Branch— For ballasting only .. .. 1 58 ■Edendale-Toitois Branch— Edendale to Wyndham .. 4 0 Total .. .. .. .. 40 19 In addition to the above the following sections are fast approaching completion, and of these, seven miles fourteen chains of the Albury Creek Section will be ready for opening next month :— M. chs. Oxford-Malvern Line .. .. .. 11 44 Albury-Fairlie Creek Branch .. .. .. 10 36 Orepuki Branch —Roundhill Section .. .. .. 1 30 Total .. .. .. .. . 23 30 The new sections and extensions commenced during the year are as follow : — Picton-Hurunui Railway— Waikari to Hurunui, including M. chs. Hurunui Bridge .. .. 8 64 Oxford-Malvern Line — Malvern Section .. .. 3 9 Little River-Akaroa Branch — Lake Forsyth Section .. 1 32 Otago Central Railway— Deep Stream Section .. 4 22 Catlin's River Branch-—■ Puerua, Section No. 2 .. 0 76 Waipahi-Heriot Burn Branch —Swift Creek Section .. .. 4 35 Edendale-Toitois Line— Mokoreta Section .. .. 3 53 Seaward Bush Line— Appleby Section .. .. 3 0 Total .. .. .. .. 29 51 Contracts are also in preparation for the following'extensions:— Nelson-Roundell Line .. Section along Wai-iti Valley. Picton-Hurunui Line .. „ from Hurunui to Pahau. Ashburton Branch . . „ „ Anama to Road Bridge, over Ashburton River. Palmerston Branch .. ~ ~ Seventh mile to Macrae's Road Junction. Kelso-Gore Line .. „ at Kelso End. Waimea-Switzers' Branch . . „ from Riversdale into Waikaia Valley. Seaward Bush Branch .. „ „ Third mile onwards. Of the works named in the last two lists the Seaward Bush, Waimea-Switzers', and KelsoGore are entirely new lines, now opened out for the first time. Nelson to Roundkll Railway. The only construction-works actually in hand on this line during the year are engine-shed and small workshop at Nelson, stationmaster's house at Belgrove, and river-protective works at the Wai-iti, all of which are either finished or making satisfactory progress. A tender has just been accepted for waiting-rooms and other minor additions at Wakefield, Richmond, and Brightwater; and a contract has been prepared for a small extension of the line up the Wai-iti Valley from Belgrove. Westport to Ngakawau Railway. Railway. —The construction-works done on this line during the year have been small and unimportant. They consist of additions to rolling-stock and wharf plant, minor station improvements, river protection, and removal of snags. Westport Harbour Works.- —The training-wall on the northern side of the Buller River, commenced in December, 1881, has been carried steadily on during the year: 5,700 tons of stone has been deposited, making 280 lineal feet of wall, the average cost being about £9 10s. per foot. The material was at first obtained from the Fairdown Quarries, but a contract has recently been entered into for a supply from Granity Creek, near Ngakawau, where the quality of the stone is better and a greater quantity procurable. Although further to carry in the latter case, the total cost is much the same from both places. The Westport harbour works are practically only commencing, consequently it will be premature to look for any marked benefit from them for a long time to come. The following table, compiled from information kindly supplied by the Harbourmaster,