HOW PALMERSTON BECAME A RAILWAY JUNCTION.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 1558, 1 June 1916, Page 4

HOW PALMERSTON BECAME A RAILWAY JUNCTION.

One of the original surveys of the Manawalu railway line was placed before (he Deviation Commission at Palmerston by Mr R. W. McVilly, assistant general manager of the New Zealand railways. The survey constituted part of the AVel-lington-Foxton-Waitara. route, and Mr McVilly explained that when the survey was made in the 70’s if was proposed to have a direct connection between Wellington and Waitara, the line of route being taken from Levin via Fuxfon and on towards the Marton district. At this time Foxton was the only point where goods from Wellington could be supplied to the Manawatu district by means of sea carriage, and Palmerston was served by means of a tramline from Foxton. In the late 70’s and early 80’s a series of floods took place, and covered the Foxton line to a depth of as much as nine feet of water, so that the authorities were compelled to look for a belter route for the main line. At this lime Palmerston was developing as a mid-North Island centres the fine district surrounding it was becoming settled, and the authorities had no hesitation in changing the proposed line in the direction of Palmerston and taking up the connection towards Taranaki by the route followed at present.