OTIRA TUNNEL.

Hokitika Guardian, 26 June 1924, Page 4

OTIRA TUNNEL.

DIG INCREASE IN TRAFFIC

CHRISTCHURCH. .lime

Railway traffic to and from the West Coast lias i loved to l e much larger than was anticipated according to information gathered by a reporter last night. Following the railway strike traffic through the tunnel was extremely heavy during the month of April, said n railway official and many extra trains had to lie run to cope with the accumulation. "The four electric locomotives at Otira are now running an average of five trips daily through the tunnel," be said, “and some times when the traffic is heavy, is many as seven trips are done daily.” All the coal mines in the Grey Valley were railing coal through the tunnel, the average Icing between 1000 and 1 ~0) tons a week. Timber was being railed through to Canterbury in very large <|ii an lilies, the average being between 170.C00 feet and ISO.COO feet a week. Of these amounts a small prnpo:tion consisted of '‘slabs”, and “pieces”, (waste timber from the mills), wliieh was being sehl as firewood.

“There were not enough ships a short time ago.” said the official, “to cope with ilie export of timber and coal from Grcymoiltli. T don’t consider that there is any competition, however, between the railway and the shipping. All goods from Canterbury go through the tunnel and most of those from the North Island go through by shin.” .Speaking of the effect of the tunnel on the Coa-t be said that places ! iko Ileefton bad felt an improvement, for traffic figures from tinge had incieased. In every wav the tunnel had done the Coast a lot of good.