EXTENSIVE SLIPS Rail Traffic Dislocated

Chronicle (Levin), 25 September 1946, Page 6

EXTENSIVE SLIPS Rail Traffic Dislocated

Press Association

By Telegraph —

AUCKLAND, Hept. 24. Traflic on tlie niaiu. truuk liue wa» disiocatud todav from shortly after uiidniglit as the result of extensivo •slips between To Kuiti and Taumarunui and tlio derailment of a goods train' between Koiiaki and Te Kuiti. Tho Limited express that left Auckland om Monday and two trains froiu Wellington wero lield up and passengers iiad to be transhipped. Auckland passengers did not reach tlieir desti nation until toniglit. All trains between 'JV Kuiti and Taumarunui have been can - c'eiled for tomorrow. The engine, four wagons next to tlie eugino und four wagons next. to the guard 's van of the 7.15 p.m. goods train from Taumarunui to Frankton, wero dorailed shortly before oue o 'clocK this moruing threo miJes north of Kopaki, when the traiu rau. into a slip. The driver and lireman eseapeii unhurt. The guard, Mr. C. E. Macavoy,' of Taumarunui, sulTered wliat were re--portcd to be minor injuries and was ud . mitted lo Taumarunui Hospital. The limited express to Wellington Iiad a narrow escapo from disaster. After leaving Te lvuiti and travellnig at high speed, it passed over the sectiou oi' tlie liue on wliich the goods train was derailed about 15 minutes iater by a slip uear the entrance to tlie I'aro-u-Tarao tunnel. The Limited rau into,; I'ising flood water when the train stopped ut the entrance. The water was above tlie tloor of the engine foot pluto. C'aught between the dcrailmeiu and slip soutli of Poro-o-Tarao, ihe train was backed on to the siding ut Kopaki. There rain was faliing heavtiy •uid nearby resideiits prepared refresli aients for the passengers and train crew. At dawn buses arrived at Kopaki' from To Kuiti and took the passengers lo Uugaruo. The shortcst route was four uules but as a bridge had beeif •vtishcd away by Hood walors, a 2o-mile loiour had to be made via Te Kuiti. I'lie last of the passengers had left for Wellington by 12.15 p.m. Both ihe p.m. express und Limited from Welliug-' ; on wcre held at Taumarunui. They were later coupled together and takou; on to Ongarue vvhero the New J'lymoutii-) Auckland express was being held. ) Buses were hastily requisitioned fromj as far aiield as Hamilton and Otorohanga and took tlie 5110 passeuger* through by road to Te Kuiti. All passengers had left for Auckland by 2.23 [>.m. on trains wliich arrived at i p.m., 7.10 p.m. und 8.3U p.m. A broak-down train was sent from Auckland at two o'cloek tliis morning but was unable to reach the deraiis 1 traiu owing to slips. Lat-e toniglit tlie engine and derailed wagons were not back on tlie liue. Gangs of workers worked until dark clearing tlie slips and they will continue todav. It is tioped tliat the slips will be cleared by evening and that the liue w ill be reopenel: Among tlie passengers on tlie Wellinglon-bouiid train that was held up were 12 members of Parliament, seven Goverurnent and five Opposition. Their absence from Wellington was. noted in tlie Housc of Rcprcsentuti vet Ihis afternoon. Hoine of them eventually went back to Ilamiltou and fiew to Wellington. On tlie northbound Limited were members of the New Zealand Mauri, Kugby team who are to play Australiaat Hamilton tomorrow. Tliis afternoon taxis were sent by the Waikato Kugby Unlon to Taumarunui to take tlio players to Hamilton where they arrived eight hours latc. Passengers from Wellington and New Plymouth, when they arrived in Auckland, expressed tlieir relief at the linish of their journey. They paid tributes to tlie efliciency of the Kailways Departinent in arranging the t ranshipmciit. , Their joursiey in buseby road was unenviable. They said tlie road was eovered in many places by water and the state of repair of the roads was verv poor.