RAILWAY TRAFFIC HELD UP

Dominion, Volume 33, Issue 192, 10 May 1940, Page 10

RAILWAY TRAFFIC HELD UP

Canterbury Reports (By Telegraph—Press Association.) CHRISTCHURCH. May 9. When the Christchurch-Invercargill express train left this -morning it was not. expected to go beyond Dunedin. 'The train control officers received advice last night that there was two feet of water over the line at Allanton and heavy rain was continuing. Up 'till midday the department lias not been able to get into telephonic communication with Dunedin because of'a break in the line near OrarL It is reported from Waimate that the main south road was blocked to traffic after 3.30 p.m. on Wednesday, when the Waihao River, in the highest flood in five years, surrounded the main road bridge over what is usually a dry branch channel. The approaches to the bridge, which was recently remodelled. were undermined. Public Works men attempted in vain to save them with sandbags. There are two detours over the Waihao River at. this point, but botli roads were impassable. There was also heavy flooding in the Hakataramea area, and two spans of a bridge ove'r Cattle Creek were carried away. Some parts of the. Waimate County Council’s crushing plant went down the river, hut it was thought that the major portion of the equipment hail been moved to safety by the men operating it.

Big slips on the Midland line between Staircase,and Avoca this morning made rail communication between Christchurch and the West Coast impossible today and the department did not expect to have the line cleared till late tonight.

The express passenger train was dispatched from. Christchurch at 11 o’clock, an hour later than usual, but it travelled only as far as Springfield. The extent of the slips on the line was so great that the tranship-, merit of the passengers was considered impracticable. The train from Greymouth tins morning was scheduled only to run to Art bur’s Pass.