OTIRA TUNNEL

Hokitika Guardian, 6 August 1930, Page 3

OTIRA TUNNEL

BIG INCREASE IN GOODS TONNAGE.

Since it was opened seven years ago to-day, the traffic from west to east through the Otira tunnel has more than doubled. For the year ended Monday, the total was 633,603 tons, and in the first year that the tunnel was op.ned, the total was 306,044 tons. No tally is kept of the traffic from east to west, as this is composed mainly of empty trucks. There has been only one interruption in traffic during the last twelve months. This was caused by washouts during the heavy rain in January, when, in three days, it was possible to get only six trains through. Up till September last, the tun net was worked for one shift each day but it was found that the traffic was becoming so heavy that it was necessary to work a double shift. This has been in operation since that time, and the innovation has amply repaid . the Railway Department, for the amount of traffic offering has grown tremend o’ 1 sly.

The Ot.i'-a tunnel was constructed to handle trains totalling 1000 tons a dav. hut during the past year, an average of over 2030 tons has been put through each working day. In one period ea»lv this winter, over 6000 tons'were hauled through in two days. The heaviest week on record occurred at the end of May when 20,120 tons were hauled. Coal and timber have formed the bulk of the material carried. The timber market has been a poor one during the year and coni lias been t T, c main commodity carried. Although this is transported at a very cheap rate, the huge amount hauled through lias made it a profitable business for the department. An ever increasing trade in dairy produce for export i> also helping ..the tonnage total to grow. The amounts hauled through for the past two years are as follows:

Totals ... 633,603 575,150

While no record has beep kept of the amount of goods passing through the tunnel from east to west, the total has been gradually increasing, although it does not approach the amount sent in the reverse direction. Canterbury business men have been working up a trade with the West Coast gradually, and this is helping to reduce the cost of hauling heavy trains of empty waggons back to the Coast. The Railway Department has now arranged a through road and rail service to Westport and this is also causing more goods to he sent westward over the line. The road portion of the journey, from Inangahua to Westport, is in the hands of a contractor.

Many of the Westport business people deal udth Wellington firms, as for many years the only methods of receiving goods was by sea. However, the faster road and rail service is ena'lling East Coast houses to work up a connection and it is expected that by the time the Buller Gorge railway is completed between Innngahua and Westport, the trade will be quite a large one.

Tons Tons. 1929 1928 August . 69,429 55,324 September 52,861 45,536 October .. 4/ ,Ot03 44,110 November 47.524 49,360 December . 44,776 49,603 1930 1929 January .. 44,052 44,241 February . 55,745 39,911 March .. 50,777 35,328 April 58,552 51,552 May .. 61,589 50,149 June , 56,602 43,282 July 74,163 66,754