RAPID PROGRESS S.I. MAIN TRUNK

Rotorua Morning Post, Volume 1, Issue 14, 8 September 1931, Page 3

RAPID PROGRESS S.I. MAIN TRUNK

Press Association-

-"Post" Special Service.

GAP ?lOW REDUCED TO TWENTY-EIGHT MILES COST BELOW ESTIMATE i •

-CopyrigHt.

By Telephone—

BLENHEIM, Monday. _ Though it is believed that the RailW'ays Board may present its report on the South Island Main Trunk Railway this week, the enginfeers and workers on the line have apparently had no hint as to the trend which the document.. may take. In the meantime, however, work -is being pushed on with full vigour. Starting operatiins in May, 1929, on the 76 mile -gap between Wharenui and Parnassus, the Public Works

Department has achieved something in the nature of a record in railway con- I struction, for to-day at last gangs of both the northern and the southern sectibns of the line. are within sight of Kaikoura. The 76-mile gap has been reduced to one of about 28 miles. In other words, practically 48 miles of railway have been formed in a period of 28 months. The only gaps are represented by the missing Leader and Conway bridges on the Southern section," the Clarence bridge on the Northern section, and the uncompleted Hawkeswood cutting west of -Parnassus. Qn the northern end rails have been laid from Wharanui to within 100 yards"or so of the Ngaoi Downs homestead. Here a small bridge is bedngt rushed ,to completion and 1 should be ready by the time the plate.layers reach it this week. Thenceforward, plate layihg will proceed without interruption to theClarence River, the only restricting factor now remaining being the bridge .over the Woodbank Creek, th'e construqtion of which is well f orward. With oi'dinary luck, the rails will he at Clarence, 21 miles from the starting point at Wharanui, well before Christmas. Ballasting ' has been completed at Wharanui and beyond Briny Brook, and a ballast train will soon be hard on the heels of the plate-laying gang. Advanee construction gangs on the northern section.are a little south of Half Moon Bay between Clarence and Hapuku and about 15 miles from Kaikoura, while the southern advanee gangs are close to Amuri Bluff about 13 miles south of Kaikoura. - In all some 750 men are employed. It is understood that as a result of detailed surveys the estimated cost of completing the line is now given at £1,500,000, as compare'd with the rough estimate of £2,300,000 on which the job was started. Of the £1,500,000 some £600,000 has already been spent, and the existing eommitments will probably run into a further £2-00,000.