Big Subsidence On Railway North Of Wanganui

Chronicle (Levin), 6 August 1949, Page 5

Big Subsidence On Railway North Of Wanganui

WANGANUI, August 5. No forecast can yet be g-iven by Railways Department as to when the main railway line between Aramoho and New Plymouth will again be ppen. The line was closed to th rough traffic by n subsidence a mile north of Kai Iwi, a small tablet station 12 miles from Wanganui, pn Thursday evening. The entire hillside beneatli the traek pare wav and the subsidence is one of the most extensive ever to affect the North Island railwav system. The rails for a distanee of four to five chains have been left hanging like a suspension bridge. At its greatest depth the subsidence is 50 feet and the restoration of the permanent wav has become a major undertaking. Railway engineers and a goologist fromy the Geological Survev Division of the Departmont of Seientific -and Industrial Researeh were 011 the srene this morning conferring on the best method of 1 overcoming the diffieultv. Two conrses are open, one to conPtruct a deviation which will involve a great. deal of heavv earthwork, and the other the erection of a bridge. Meanwhile all passengers, Ipggage and mails travelling by express and passenger trains between Wanganui and Kew Plvmouth are being conveyed by bns from train to train. Northbound passengers are being taken from Wanganui to Waitotara to join a train for stations north of there in Taranaki, and southbound passengers are being hronght fram Waitotara to Aramoho whare thev can .ioin a train to, travel aouth to Marton, Palmerston North and Wellington. The same arrangements W'ill be applied so far as .railcar passengers are eoncerned until the line is restored. It may be neeessarv next week to cancel some of the scheduled mixed trains.