RAILWAY STILL CLOSED

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 70, Issue 104, 15 February 1950, Page 6

RAILWAY STILL CLOSED

NORTH ISLAND MAIN TRUNK LINE TRANSHIPMENT OF PASSENGERS (P.A.) WELLINGTON, Feb. 14. The Main Trunk railway line was still closed by flood damage near Marton to-night. Travellers by six expresses were expected to be delayed about two hours. The damage is at a small bridge and washouts. It should be repaired tomorrow, said the railway officials tonight. Nearly 100,0. passengers by the 3 o’clock and 3.40 expresses from Wellington were transhipped by bus between Marton and Huntervilie this evening. The two Limited expresses were diverted from the Main Trunk at Taumarunui and Marton to go via the Stratford line, which, after being closed by flood damage since Monday, was cleared this afternoon. Weary passengers stepped from a train at. Auckland at 1 o’clock this afternoon, 22 hours after leaving Wellington. A number of people on the way to Australia had half an hour to catch the Monowai.

Mr C. D. Bell, chief engineer of the Ministry of Works at Wanganui, saidafter he had made a survey of the damage at Marton, it was surprising that there had been no loss of life. There would have been a major calamity if the town had been flooded at night instead of in the daytime. All main roads in the Wanganui district are now open.