MOHAKA VIADUCT

Manawatu Standard, Volume LVII, Issue 180, 1 July 1937, Page 2

MOHAKA VIADUCT

OPENING CEREMONY. RAIL CAR REACHES WAJROA. Per Press Association. AVAIROA, June 30. To-day was the greatest day in the history of Wairoa and a largo portion of the East Coast district, being the occasion of the opening of the JMoliaka Viaduct, the construction of which was considered the most difficult task in the building of the East Coast railway. Hon. R. .Semple drove the last spike holding the rails to the sleepers and, with tlie passage of the rail car to Wairoa, tlie first passenger unit of the New Zealand Railways was seen on the Napier-Wairoa line. The function at the viaduct and the arrival of the rail ear in Wairoa signified the completion of the first section of the railway. which lias been long looked forward to by the people of the district. Air E. P. Meaclien, M.P. for AVairau, read a statement for Air-Semple which stated that the construction of the Napier-Gisborne railway had been carried on intermittently since 1912. The 38 miles to Putorino were completed by 1930. hut the earthquake of 1931 damaged (lie line to Putorino and no traffic was carried after that. In October, 1931, as the result of an adverse report by the Railways Board, tlie construction of the PutorinoAVairna section was suspended. In 1933 .Mr AY. D. Lysnar. formerly Af.P. for Gisborne, undertook to carry out negotiations for the formation of a private company with English capital, hut, probably because of the general financial depression, the negotiations were not completed. Construction was resumed hv the present Government in June of last year. The restoration of the NapierPutorino section was now almost completed. and the Alohaka viaduct was finished. On the Gisborne -AA aikokopu section all the major cuttings were manned, eonstruc-tio-'.i was proceeding at both ends of 10 out of 13 tunnels, and in foui- smaller tunnels the heading was right through. At present 1292 men were engaged on the railway between Gisborne and Napier. On the Gisbore-Waikokopu section, 13 camps have been established.

The financial position when tlie work was resumed last year was: Approximate total expenditure to date, £3..563.000: annual interest bill, £160.000; total interest hill to date. £1,484,000. Estimates to complete tlie various sections are approximately: Napier-Putorino, £50.000; PutorinoA\ r airoa, £150.000; AA’airoa-AA aikokopu, £32,500 ; AVaikokopu-Gisborne, £1,400,000; total, £1.632.500. Since these estimates were made out. wages and costs had increased somewhat, so that tlie final figures might lie slightly above tlie amounts stated, "flic total expenditure since the resumption of work about the middle of last year had been £420,000. A considerable proportion of this had boon on plant. TRIBUTES TO AIEN.

Mr Semple paid glowing tributes to tlie efforts of the men engaged on the construction of the viaduct, especially the engineer-in-charge, Mr D. H. Haskell, whom he introduced to the gathering. The building of the viaduct had exploded the theory that to _nay men well was, bad for the country. The men engaged on the viaduct- had shattered all records for work of this nature in the Dominion, and, he believed, in Australia too. The viaduct was also built at less than the estimated cost. These men had written their own epitaphs in steel, he said. They had done something worth while, something that would be a gift to posterity. The Minister of Railways (Hon. D. G. Sullivan) said the viaduct should be an inspiration in the lives of the children. “In bringing the NapierWairoa portion of the railway into operation' it is the desire of the Government that train services should be so arranged as to give the most convenient trains and train connections for residents throughout the area now being brought lor the first time into direct railway connection with the North Island main line and branches.” said Mr Sullivan. “With this end in view the Railway Department has drawn tip tentative schedules both for a temporary service until such time as the necessary rail cars arc available and also for the full service when a line through from Napier to Wairoa and Waikokopu is opened and rail ears are available. This tentative schedule also provides for suitable road .motor connections with Gisborne from \\ a iron until such time as the Wairoa-Gisbornc section of the line is completed. DETAILS OF PROPOSED SERVICES “In order to ensure that all settlements and interests in the districts concerned may have adequate opportunity to consult and decide what is most suitable in the tentative timetables prepared for their transport requirements, Mr Mackley will consult with local authorities and others along the route of the railway before a decision is made regarding the actual timetable to be adopted. It is desired in the meantime to give an express train connection from AY airoa to YY cllington, 270 miles in about ]l£ hours, and from Wellington to Wairoa in the same time, then by road motor to Gisborne, making a through time from Wellington to Gisborne of 14 hours for the total distance of 328 miles. The time of expresses between AY airoa and Napier will he about 3hours. Daily goods trains will also he provided each wav between Napier, Wairoa and YVaikokopu. When the rail-cars are available, probably early in the New Year, the trip between Gisborne and Wellington can be done'in 13 hours, using railcars on the Napier-AVairoa-Nuhaka portion of the line. “Tentative proposals also provide for a night passenger service by steam train, leaving AVairoa at 8.30 p.lll. and arriving at AA T cllington at i a.m. the next morning, and in the opposite direction for a passenger steam train service leaving AVellington at 7.15 p.m. and arriving at Wairoa at G a.m.,” concluded Mr Sullivan. “A special combination sleeping and day car will be provided on each of these services.’ After the driving of the last spike the rail-car proceeded to AA’airoa, taking 45 minutes. Nearly the whole population turned out to greet the car. A speech of welcome was given by Mr Coleman, M.P.