LEVIN-MARTON RAILWAY.

Manawatu Herald, Volume L, Issue 3951, 4 June 1929, Page 3

LEVIN-MARTON RAILWAY.

A REVIVED AGITATION. Commenting on the above agitation, the Palmerston North Standard says:— ‘As was anticipated, the abandonment of the deviation works at PallnM’ston North has revived the hopes of the Levin, Foxton and Mar ton people that .the Government unay he induced to authorise the construction of the Levin-Marton deviation, the chief argument in favour of" which is that it would allegedly shorten the distance between Auckland and Wellington by some 14 miles. The Wellington evening paper is responsible for the statement that “Levin and Foxton have taken fresh heart at Palmerston North’s loss of the deviation scheme and have re-opened a vigorous camlpaign on behalf of the Foxton-Marton railway.” That was to have been expected; but, as wc have pointed out on more than one occasion, if a mere saving in distance is to be the main object of a movement which would cut out the two important town of Palmerston North and Fielding from the Main Trunk direct service, n much greater saving in distance could be effected by diverting the existing line at Fielding and carrying it along the originally planned route through Kimibblton, to junction with the main line somewhere in the vicinity of Mangawelka. That would, of course, cut out Marton, but that would be no worse and would certainly cause less inconvenience to traffic than the cutting out of Palmerston North and Fielding from the direct IWellington-Audk-land route. Palmerston North is the junctioning centre for the East nucl West Coast railways and passengers from Auckland to Napier and stations on the East Coast and Wairaavapa lines, or vice-versa, would, if the Levin-Marton deviation weire .earned out, have to change trains both a.t Palmerston North and Marton, instead of making the one 'change only at present. The Foxton-Marton line would traverse very little country from which the main line of railway is not easily accessible over good roads, and, in these days of motor traction, would Wring little or no additional traffic to the railways. On tlie other hand a deviation at Feilding would open up a good deal of country that is not at present as accessible to any line of railway as the country through which the Lcvin-Mairton deviation would be taken. But there is really no sound argument for substituting the latter for the abandoned deviation at 'Palmerston North, the construction of which, formed part and parcel of the improvements proposed by the Coates Administration, and sanctioned by Parliament, because of the necessity of providing greater yarding facilities than are procurable in the vicinity of the existing stations and, above all, eliminating the fourteen -dangerous railway crossings which have to be negotiated in the very heart of the town. The 'Chambers of .Commerce at Levin, Foxton and Marton are reported to be preparing a fresh agitation for the deviation they favour. It is up to local residents to counter their agitation, and to urge the local Borough Council to lie on the 4 @tert in protecting the interests of the borough against the revived agitation.”

“A SEVERE BLOW.” CESSATION OF DEVIATION WORK'S. Palmerston North, June 1. “The deviation has gone, but it will come back —at least I hope so,” said Mr. J. A-. Nash, M.P., in replying to the toast of “Parliament” at the annual meeting of the Palmerston North Commercial Travellers’ Association last week. “The stoppage of the work has been a severe blow to this town. If tire proposal bo go ahead with the South Island line were not being proceeded with, one could perhaps believe that the stoppage was right. But that. South Island line is being gone on with and it can never pay.” TIME NOT OPPORTUNE SAYS MARTON CHAMBER. A letter was read from the Foxton Chamber of Commerce at the Marton meeting asking for co-op-eration in res urn Lug- pressure for the Levin-Greatford railway. “This is the revival of an old controversy,” said Mr. J. A. Bush, “but Marton can get no direct benefit from the scheme and the districts concerned are now served by motor transport.” It was decided that the time was not opportune to move in the matter.