SLIP ON MAIN TRUNK.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXII, Issue 25, 23 December 1916, Page 7

SLIP ON MAIN TRUNK.

TRAINS HELP (JP. Per Press Association. Auckland, December 20. Owing to slips on tiie Main Trunk line, the express to Palmerston,, 1 leaving at 7 p.ra, was cancelled, and both of the evening south-bound trunk trains were also cancelled. The Department has decided to despatch a special train to ?ne scene of the slip, bewteen Raera ta. and Rnnciman, 2d miles south of Ane Ida ncl at 2.30 a.m. to-morrow. Passengers will then be transferred to another train and convoyed to Pukekohe, at which station two ' Wellington-to-Auckland expresses are held up, and one of these will return to Wellington with passengers and mails from Auckland. It is exepected that it will take a week/ to clear the slip. Tile slip near Runciman is more serious titan was at first supposed, about 1000 tons of earth being displaced. The slip fell in front of an express from Rotorua to Auckland. The train ploughed its way into the slip with great force, the engine being forced loft in the air, where it remained. Three carriages were derailed. The passengers were shaken, but none injured. Subsequently the train was removed from the danger zone. The passengers had the tin-' enviable experience in reaching the relief train which was sent from Auckland. The train time-table is uncertain, and the service is disorganised.

TEMPORARY SERVICE ARRANGED. Auckland, December 22. The Railway Department hopes to have completed the construction of a loop line past the big slip at the Kaeaka cutting, between Pukekohe and Drury, in time to permit of the through passage of the Sunday night main trunk expresses from Auckland to Wellington. A large gang or men are employed in laying a new length of line. Meanwhile all passengers are compelled to transfer from train to train, entailing a halfmile walk. The delay through the slip is causing all trains, to .arrive here two to three hhlirsi late, (hit-' ward trains are all leaving on schedule time, except the two night expresses to Wellington. These have been replaced by a special train leaving here at 2 a.in. and due in Wellington at 10 p.m. on the same day.