THE RAILWAYS

Southland Times, Issue 21093, 27 May 1930, Page 8

THE RAILWAYS

MAIN TRUNK LINE EXCELLENT PROGRESS MADE WORK FOUR MILES SOUTH OF WHARANUI (Per United Press Association.) Blenheim, May 26. Though progress of the work on the completion of the South Island Main Trunk railway does not come up to the anticipation of those optimists who expected to see express trains running between Picton and Invercargill within three years of the advent of the United Government, excellent progress has been made and the actual permanent railhead is now at Blue Slip, some four miles south of Wharanui, while the formation work is nearing completion as far as Kekerangu, and work has been opened up for a distance of about five miles beyond that point. Light temporary rails have been laid round Blue Slip and the Department’s works train would soon be able to reach Kekerangu except for the necessity for a couple of small bridges. It is anticipated that a definite policy in regard to bridging will be laid down shortly. At the present time there are some 250 men engaged on the ,work from Wharanui southward, and unless double shifts are worked in some of the more difficult places, it is hard to see how many more could be profitably employed at the present time. The workers however are under the impression that the Department is contemplating as a means of absorbing unemployed during the winter, opening up a section south of the Clarence river. In this locality there is a fairly long stretch of comparatively easy work, and it is stated that gangs of men could carry on the formation and continuation without any equipment short of horses, scoops, trucks and light rails, with of course the indispensable pick and shovel. The fact that this section could be put in hand without the necessity for transporting great quantities of material by road lends colour to the suggestion. A report is also current to the effect that the engineers engaged on the southern end of the job at Parnassus intend to send an advance guard of workers to Oaro, midway between Conway and Kaikoura. It is stated that a big camp is about to be established in that locality, but no confirmation is possible from this end.