THOUSAND OF TONS OF GOODS HELD UP

Sun (Auckland), Volume 1, Issue 109, 29 July 1927, Page 9

THOUSAND OF TONS OF GOODS HELD UP

RESULT OF KARAKA SLIP BACK TG NORMAL ON MONDAY I> ETW E ELN 10.000 and 12,000 * tons or goods have been held up by the sljp ,n the Karaka Cutting which blocked the Main Trunk line. This amazing quantity of merchandise gives ,some indication o * the amount of goods traffic between Auckland and the South lines. Long rakes of trucks in the Auckland Station yard arV waiting to be forwarded to their destinations and a similar number is /Seeing held at Frankton Junction, Huxttly, Mercer. Paerata and Pukekohe, wxth goods for Auckland. By this afternoon it is expected that the first of the goods trails -will be got away, and that some of tttose wailing on the other side of the* Karaka Cutting will come through to Auckland. These thousands of tons of jgoods, which do not include anything perishable, have piled up since Wednesday morning. The perishable goods have been transhipped between Paerata aud Drury by lorry. Fortunately for the Railway Depart-* ment and the merchants, there were no big cargo boats in from foreign ports, otherwise the congestion would have been severe. At present there is a shortage of empty trucks, owing to the fact that none has been able to get through for discharge at Auckland. It will take some time to relieve the congested goods traffic on both the Auckland and Frankton sides of the slip. One reason is that only a limited number of trains each day will be able to get through the cutting now that it is cleared, and another, that only 230 tons of goods can be carried out of Auckland at one time on one train. When Otahuhu is reached this load can be increased to the maximum of 550 tons. It is not anticipated that the usual goods train schedule will get back to normal before Monday. Railway officials are doing their best to facilitate the rapid transport of goods once the trains are able to move.