S.I. TRUNK LINE.

Hokitika Guardian, 20 May 1925, Page 1

S.I. TRUNK LINE.

o v TELKGRAril —ritKSS ASSN., COP "RIGHT. BLENHEIM. May -JO. Considerable interest has been evinced in many pari-, of the Dominion ill a suggestion recently brought lorwaid l, v Mr R. P. Furness, a prominent member of tlie Marlborough Progress League's Railway Comndtiee, that as a IP's! step towards the completion ol (he South Island Main Trunk Railway, the recent Iv appointed Railway Board should lie invited to cott'idcr tlie introduction to coincide with the commis-

sioning ot tin* new terry sleamei laui.ihino. of a dailv railway servin' between pi, ■ton and ('hrisirlmivh. the gap between Pictoii al Wharettmi and Parnassus being bridged by a motor sor-

\ic,’. run either hv one oi the existing motor service companies. or hy the Railway Department itself.

.Mr l‘'ornes~'s idea is that the intro,ln,n,mi of tin' ferry "■am-r Taniahine in four or live month'- time will other an exceptional opportunity lor initiatin'.’; on overland service on the lines suaw'w ted. IK' points out that: the Tamaliilie. with aeeoniniodalion for he--ell Toil and sun ■ passengers, will ( l oss i lie si rail > between Wellington and I'd.ton in three hours, and less than one hour of this time will lie spent in the open sea. the ha la nee of Hie period heiue: occupied hy the run down Wellington Harbour and up Oueeu Charlotte Sound. Ml- Furness believes that reluctanee Id lace a lone sea journey, such as that between Wellington and l.ylteltdii. i-. so widespread among the travelling lillhlie tha! a large proportion of the inter-island passenger traflie would he attracted to the shorter route between Wellington and I’ieton. lie points out l lint Ihe sreiiie attractions oi the trip from Wellington to Christchurch via Pieton and PJenheini. are unrivalled in any part ol the nonunion. The ('lnterne bridge. Mr Furness has a seel 1a i ued. is expected to he ready for • rallie about August next, so that the big river will thenceforward oiler no obstacle. lie believes that if the service lie has suggested is .mot into smooth running order helore the opening of the Dunedin Exhihition, at the end of this year, the results achieved will he astonishing:, and will alone denunistrale that the present 'dead-end'' i ail wavs between Blenheim and Christrlinreh. on which CS.T.OtiO a year is now hei tie; lost to the Dominion, rati he put on a paying basis.