OTIRA TUNNEL.

Hokitika Guardian, 5 August 1924, Page 1

OTIRA TUNNEL.

r OPKXEI) A YEAH, s \i l st(- 11 1 a.\ was the first atmiversarv - Of the open’ll" for traflie of the Otir.-i I tunnel—the Ion." hole under the ,• • Southern Alps—which is the only rail- > way connection between the East and . West Coasts of the South Island. . Prior to Aii"iist 4, last year, passon- • Kers hetween Canterbury and Westland ■ were rcpiired to travel a portion of the journey h.v coach over Arthur’s Pass and through the Otira Cor"e, and practically all goods traflie went hy sea hetween the ports of Uyttelton ami fireymnuth. The opcniii" of the tunnel l.mught a hi" change in the relationship of the two provinces. Passengers Were able to make the journey without the dis,cm fort s and delays of coach travelling an I with a resultant saving of nearly three hours for the trip between Christchurch and Cre.vmmith. Hat llr- greatest change that was brought about was the direct transport el' goods li.v rail from coast to coast. Canterbury was able lor the first time to obtain real and timber direct by ' rail from the mines and mills of the V) est Const, thus ensuring regular , supplies at lower transport charges ] than \v; is tlm ease w hen shipping alone I < had to he depended upon. New fields f ol trade for Canterbury business firms 1 Were also made available, to tile mu- 1 Dial advantage of Ihe two provinces. COAL AXD TI.MISKH.

During the (last year the total gross tonnage brought h.v rail from the West Coast through the Otira tunnel was 2oH,SIT tons, comprised mainly of coal and timber. Approximately one-tliird of that tonnage was, however, represented h.v weight of tnicks, thus reducing the net tonnage of goods actually carried to about 172.110(1 tons. The figures for each month since the tunnel was opened were supplied ho a "Lyttelton Times” reporter hy .Mr 11. Chapman. District Hailway Traffic .Manager at Christchurch. The gross tonnages are as follow : 11)22. Tons. August N,(i!fi September IN.lol October 20.50 S .November 20,212 December 20. 10l 1021. January 12,1.57 Keihruary 21.520 .March ' 22,7 S 1 April 10,21.5 May 21,121 .lime 25.21! I July 27,20 s August (two days) 2.001 Total ... 2-5N.577 ' Decrease due to strike. .tlncrease title to ru-.li of traflie following the strike. Details of the traffic from Canterbury to Westland are not available, hut this traflie is small in ciimparison with that from the West Coast. EFEECT ON SIIIPPINO.

•f-iin-e the opening of the tunnel the shipping trade between Oreymmith and Lyttelton lias been reduced to a negligible (piantily. I’revioiis to the tunnel being Used at. least one coal ami timber boat a week, and I'refjuently i vo, arrived at Lyttelton from Creymolith. Now that has been (hanged completely. Ihe boats that arrhc a! Lyttelton Irmil Creymouth usually have the hulk of their cargo ter Timaru ami Dunedin and n-markahly lillit.* cargo has gone from l.ytt' b.on to fill”, lilolll !l hy -leaie.el . On .1 ii I v J2 the Kaunma look a small (piantily id largo from Lyttelton lor (trey-mouth, hut she was the first I'ninn ( ompanv vessel lo make the trip for ah,ml four week-. Several steamers are still trailing between I.;. 11 el ton and Westport, hut as the hulk of the timber Irom the West Coast loieos via Oreymnuth the opening of the tunnel has seriously ali’eeied the shipping services. Timber wa- formerly a big item in the shipping trade hetween Crcymoittli and l.yttel toll. I’ASSKNCKH THAFI-TC. ’flu’ passenger Iralii:- ha-. I,ecu iplite sal i-l'ai-lory during the past r ear, leaf it has not shown a sulti, ii-ntly big increase to justify, in the Department's e-iimalioii. an increase in the present services. This class ol traflie has varied censiderahly according ta the sea -oils ami the events at I lie time. On some days there have been well over .2.50 passengers, while on one day tlu-re were only lit. Doring the sum-

mer season the averape was about 2(171 hv each train and the averape at the present time i- only about a hundred.

The repular time-table provides lor trains each wav on Tuesday-. Tliursdavs and Saturdays, hut at holiday

times tlio service is increased. sometimes to a daily service. For some tine- there has been an apitatioli filltrains in Monday,. Ipit tlm contention of the Department has been that such a step is not warranted under present circumstances.