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Platelaying is completed to 28 m. 31 eh., and the line will shortly be laid to the Cass Bridge, at 29 in. 9 eh., when a halt will have to be made. No ballasting has yet been done on this section. Ngahehe-Blackball Railway (3 in. 40 eh. in length). The formation, platelaying, and ballasting of this line have been completed during the year. Owing to the Blackball Station yard being all in solid stone cutting, it was impossible to put the station buildings in hand until the excavation was nearly finished, to avoid damage by flying stones. In consequence of this, the last work to be done on this line is the completion of the stationbuildings. For the past six months the line throughout has been sufficiently complete to allow of coal traffic being run, first by ballast-engine and latterly by the Railway Department's engines. Additional accommodation at Ngahere for timber-skids and cattle-yards is being provided. Gkeymouth - Point Elizabeth Collieries Railway Extension. Coal Creek Extension (3 m. 69 eh.). —Very good progress has been made with the earthwork, which at the beginning of the year was only just commenced on the upper half of the line. The formation is now praotically complete for a mile and a half beyond present terminus. Beyond that point all cuttings are in hand, and considerable portions are complete. Slips at 6m. 30 eh., Tin. 58'66ch., and on the bins station necessitated much more material being handled at those points than was anticipated. Work on the cliffs is well in hand, more than half the length being finished. The remainder is under way, and the heading for small tunnel at 7m. is being driven. No. 1 Tunnel was completed during the year, and No. 2 Tunnel was converted into an open cutting. The necessary timber for bridges is being procured, and erection can be proceeded with in three months' time. Westpoet-Inangahua Railway. Te Kuha Section (5 miles 7 chains in length). —Ballasting was commenced in October, and completed to the Te Kuha Station, at sm. 65 eh. All narrow banks on this section have been widened out with the ballast-train. Ballasting has been put in hand, and the bottom lift has been carried as far as 4m. 25 eh. A good deal of work has been done in final excavation and trimming up in Te Kuha Station yard, where a temporary goods-shed has been erected. A temporary engineBhed and coal-store have also been erected at the Westport end of the line. Telephone-line has been erected from Westport to Te Kuha Station. A movable school for the children of workmen has been built at Te Kuha Station. Extension Section. —Bush has been felled from 6m. 74 eh. to 7m. .VJ eh. during the year. In August there were fourteen co-operative parties on the rock-excavations between 6m. and 7m. 12 eh. Owing to the commencement of ballasting and the decision to carry out the work by contract, the number of parties was gradually reduced, until, in January, there vvvv only three co-operative parties on this section on rock-excavation. The cutting from 5 in. 78 eh. to (> m. •'! eh. is almost completed, and the cuttings between 6m. 7 eh. and 6m. 23 eh. are now in progress. The cutting at 6 m. 53 eh. is now completed. The top drive of the tunnel 6m. 15 eh. to 6m. 20 eh. has been put through. The rock through which the heading has been pierced proved to be a hard flinty slate, fairly easily excavated, but requiring timber all through. In May six contracts were let for carrying out work from 6m. 35 eh. to 7 in. 38 eh. From sm. 78 eh. to 6m. 34 eh. (the commencement of the contract-work) all cuttings and the tunnel are in progress under co-operative contracts. Blenheim- Waipara Railway, South End. Mackenzie Section (Sim. 67 eh. to 36 m. 50 eh.). —This section has been completed, except for a few chains of fencing and soThe metalling, and is now practically ready for handing over to the Railway Department. During the year earthworks, platelaying, ballasting, erection of stationbuildings at Nonoti and Mina, and fencing have been put in hand and completed. Parnassus Section (35 m. 50 eh. to — This section has been repegged throughout. Earthworks are practically complete to 36 m., but beyond that point nothing has been done except a little work on the service road. The bridge over the Waiau River is being built by contract, and is about one-third finished. Catlin's-Waimahaka Railway. Catlin's End. Houipapa Section (21m. 60 eh. to 10 eh.). —The portion of this section to Houipapa Station (24 m. 8 eh.) was completed and opened for traffic on the 17th December, 1909. The stone-crusher was removed, before the opening of the section, from 22 m. 34 eh. to 24 m. 20 eh. in order to provide ballast and metal for concrete culverts to Puketiro without running over the opened portion of the line. Papatupu Section (24 m. 10 eh. to 25 m. 60 eh.). —This section is completed ready to hand over to the Railway Department, but is being retained for the present, as the ballast-pit is situated on it. Puketiro (Table Hill) Section (25 m. 60 eh. to 31m. 30 eh.).—The portion of this section beyond 29 m. has been resurveyed, and the deep ravine at Christie's Creek has been negotiated by making a detour higher up the gully, thus avoiding the necessity for a viaduct. The earthwork, however, is heavy, the gullies being deep, with rugged spurs intervening. This section has been pushed on energetically during the year, and, considering wet weather and the state of roads, very fair progress has been made. Clearing, logging, and burning has been continued from 29 m. 32 eh. to 32 m. 20 eh.