LEVIN TO MARTON RAILWAY.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XXXI, Issue 453, 1 April 1909, Page 3

LEVIN TO MARTON RAILWAY.

THE PROPOSED SURVEY. NO OFFICER AVAILABLE FOR WORK. The Minister of Public Works (Hon. R. McKenzie) has forwarded to Mr W, H. Field, M.P., an interesting letter regarding the proposed railway from Levin to Greattord. He states : “Referring to your recent interview, when you made enquiries regarding a survey of the route suggested for a line of railway from Levin to Greatford, via Foxton, I have the honour to state that no actual survey of the whole route has yet been made, but a trial survey was made some years ago trom Levin to Foxton, and the country northward to Marton was also examined by a Government surveyor. From the information thus obtained, it appears that a line of railway could be constructed which would be of advantage to the settled districts westward of the existing main line, and would bring all places of northward Greatford about 15 miles nearer to Wellington by rail. ‘•' The Greatford station in its present position is not, however, considered suitable for a junction, as it only a little over three miles distant from the important junction at Marton, and it is probable that the projected new line, if constructed, will be continued on to Marton, Allowing for this additional distance, the line from Levin would be about 42 miles in length, but apart from the large bridges over the Manawatu and Rangitikei rivers, the route presents no engineering difficulties. The country to be traversed is practically level, and there would be no less than one mile of grades steeper than one in 100, and no sharp curves. It is probable that it would be practicable and advisable to utilise about five miles of the the existing Foxton-Palmerston railway. The cost of constructing the whole line from Levin to Marton would not be less than ' * f Tjie above information being already available, and (be department’s engineering staff being fully occupied qn iraportantworks at present, I regret that I am not able just now to detach an officer to carry out the detailed survey of the suggested line,”