No Rail-Car Link With Ferries

Press, Volume CVI, Issue 31096, 27 June 1966, Page 10

No Rail-Car Link With Ferries

(Parliamentary Reporter) WELLINGTON, June 24. It was unlikely that rail-cars would be able to meet the vehicular ferries Aramoana and Aranui regularly, the Minister of Railways (Mr McAlpine) said in Parliament. Replying to Mr H. E. L. Pickering (Govt., Rangiora), Mr McAlpine said several curve easement projects had been completed on the 'Pic-ton-Christchurch line in recent years. Additional work was proposed between Blind River and Seddon and between Mirza and Ward. Negotiations regarding these were in hand. Additional curve easement work between Tormore and Domett and between Tuamarina and Para was also being considered.

Mr S. A. Whitehead (Opp., Nelson): Do the railway trains meet the Aramoana at Picton? Mr McAlpine: Both the railway and the vessel’s trip end at Picton. They must obviously meet.

Sir Eruera Tirikatene (Opp., Southern Maori): Can the Minister assure the House that the trains will meet the ships in future? Mr McAlpine: When both ships are running, there will be three trips daily between Wellington and Picton. It would not be practicable to

meet each ship. Schedules have to be worked out, to meet other circumstances. Mr Whitehead: The Minister has said that curve easements would improve the service. How is it going to be improved? Mr McAlpine: The curve easements will not help the rail-cars very much—they can manage the present curves quite well. They are to assist goods trains, which have to slow down before taking the present curves. The Leader of the Opposition (Mr Kirk): Is it contem-

-plated that the rail-car will arrive in Picton in time to meet the Aramoana? Mr McAlpine: A great deal of work has been done on timetables. Mr Kirk: Can we contemplate further adjustments to shipping times so that Nelson residents can get a through connexion by rail? Mr McAlpine was unable to give this assurance.