Bay of Plenty Link

Sun (Auckland), Volume I, Issue 245, 6 January 1928, Page 1

Bay of Plenty Link

DIRECT RAIL TO AUCKLAND

Trains Within Two Months

WITHIN two months it is expected that trains will he running on the new section of railway line from Waihi to Taneatua, through the Bay of Plenty. This will add another 85 miles of permanent way to the Auckland Railway District and passengers will be able to travel direct from Auckland to Taneatua by train.

section of line which, it

is expected, will be completed and opened toward the end of March will be that from Waiotira to Kirikopuni, the first part of line connecting Auek land with Dargaville direct. Work has progressed favourably on the various sections of the line through the Bay of Plenty, a.nd the engineers, Sir W. G. Armstrong Whitworth and Co., Ltd., are now ready to hand over to the Public W T orks Department that section of the line from Tahawai to Te Puna. This is the last stretch of the line through the bay, 15 miles in length, and completes the whole of the line from Waihi to Taneatua, including the piece recently taken over between Waihi and Tahawai.

The section of line between Taneatua and Tauranga is at present being run. by the Public Works, which has its own time-table. With the completion of the line through the Bay of Plenty and its being taken over by the Railway Department comes the question of a nearer route from the bay to Auck land. The necessary link will run from Paeroa to Pokeno, on the main line south of Pukekohe,, across the Piako Swamp. This will reduce the rail distance from the Bay of Plenty to Auckland by between 40 and 50 miles, and will save the long journey down to Frankton Junction and back.

Already railway officials have inspected the country over which this line will eventually run, and it has been surveyed for future use. Tne

country is comparatively level, and the line across would not be a difficult engineering feat. A direc*line from Paeroa to Pokeno would curtail the running expenses of the department and would make an easy link with Thames and the Coromandel Peninsula. LINK WITH DARGAVILLE In the north the Public Works Department has finished the section of line from the Waiotira Junction to Kirikopuni, and all that is holding it now is the completion of the bridge across the Wairoa River. This bridge is almost finished, and as soon as it is the line will be handed over to the Railway Department and officially opened. This stretch of line is about 14 miles in length and leaves another 15 miles to be constructed before the main line is joined with Dargaville. Kirikopuni will be the present junction as soon as the line opened. The section was pushed ahead to Kirikopuni in order to serve a large dairy factory there. It is presumed that if the necessary authority is passed the Government will go ahead with the remaining sec tion of line from Kirikopuni to Dargaville and complete the connection with Auckland. Residents of Dargaville and the surrounding country are anxious th~ line be finished as soon as possible. It will open up a large area of rich country, including tl. timber lands.

With the completion of the Bay oi Plenty line the faster transport and communication with Auckland will mean a great deal to the farmers of that large and profitable district.