THE MATAURA RAILWAY.

Southland Times, Issue 1620, 16 August 1872, Page 3

THE MATAURA RAILWAY.

The following is the report of the i Engineer-in-chief on the above line of railway : — The Invercargill and Mataura railway forms the western section of the proposed Otago trunk line, of which the Dunedin and Clutha railway forms the eastern section. Both of these lines have been sanctioned by the Legislature, and will be carried on simultaneously. It is not at present proposed to construct the middle section from Clutha to Mataura ; but it is necessary, in estimating the probable revenue of the Invercargill and Mataura railway, to take into consideration its probable future construction, and the large extension of traffic which would follow. At present, the traffic between Invercargill and Dunedin is done almost entirely by sea, but on completion of the Invercargill and Mataura, Dunedin and Clutha railways, a great part will go by land. There is, also, a large traffic between Dunedin and Lake Wakatipu, a part of which will be from its present channel, on the completion of the Dunedin and Clutha, Invercargill and Mataura, Winton and Kingston railways, all of which will be completed nearly at the same time ; and the whole of this ! traffic will be diverted when the middle section of the trunk line from Clutha to Mataura ia completed. It is estimated that the amount now paid by passengers and goods along the line of the railway ia £7000 a year ; to which must be added £3000 for the expected increase in the business of the Woodlands Meat Preserving Works, making £10,000 ; and it may be safely assumed that the total amount paid for carriage will increase rather than decrease with the cheapness and facilities which the railways will offer. I think it a very moderate estimate to assume that the local traffic will rise to at least £12,300 a year, at which I estimate the working expenses, including renewal of permanent way and rolling stock. The through traffic between Invercargill and Dunedin, and Lake Wakatipu and Dunedin, would cover renewal of bridges and other timber work, and probably leave enough to pay a small dividend. When the middle from Clutha to Mataura is finished, there would be, I have little doubt, sufficient traffic to pay a fair dividend on the whole cost. The indirect advantages of the railway will be great. The traffic of the Bluff

and Invercargill railway will be largelj increased, and a fine agricultural distrid will be opened up, at a cost very little exceeding what would be required for s macadamized road. 1 The line passes through a generally favorable country. There is, however, one cutting containing 95,000 cubic yarde hauled on an average three-quarters of a mile. The most important structure is the Mataura bridge, consisting of 10 timber spans of 40 feet, supported on masonry piers and abutments. There are nine other bridges of an aggregate length of 567 feet. The rails will be 40lbs to the yard on cross sleepers, bedded in ballast. The gradients and curves are comparatively easy.