Morningside Tunnel Arguments Advanced

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 922, 15 March 1930, Page 5

Morningside Tunnel Arguments Advanced

REPLY TO MINISTER BUSINESSMEN’S ACTION Many arguments against the decision of the Minister of Railways, the Hon. W. B. Taverner, -to ) abandon the Auckland-Morning- ! side railway deviation project, and the tunnel, are set out in the report of a special investigation com- \ mittee of the Auckland Chamber I of Commerce. When the committee's report is presented at a meeting next Friday evening a motion will be advanced saying that, in spite of the decision to abandon the deviation, the scheme is tn© only adequate solution of the problesn of transport to the outer western suburbs and to North Auckland. In view of the situation of the new Auckland railway station, the motion will say, the scheme is vital to Southern suburban passengers, because of the considerable discrepancies between the estimate of £449,000. in 1924, and Mr. Taverner's estimate of £1,000,000, and of the evidence that Mr. Taverner’s estimate is excessive, it will be moved that an independent inquiry should be he held immediately. When the committee approached Mr. Taverner on- aspects of the scheme, he answered that the 1924 estimate was tentative, prepared without detailed inquiry. It provided for one underground station only, near the Town j Hall. His estimate was prepared from carefful investigation over many months. Since the original estimate, much of the land for which compensation for usage would have to be paid had been built upon. •‘lf the increase in the estimate is due to any extent, to the erection of buildings on land vacant at the date of the earlier, the position reflects gravely on the Railway Department,” states the committee’s report in the criticism of Mr. Taverner’s statements. “If there is an increase in the provision for further stations than the one underground at the Town Hall and that, in the open at Newton Road, such an extra station is not necessary.”

It was not fair to saddle the whole cost of duplicating the line between Ilelensville and Papakura on to ohe

tunnel. The experts. Messrs. Merz and McLellan. had judged that electrification (which must eventually be faced on the Auckland suburban lines) between Swanson and Papakura would return almost 10 per cent, of the capital cost of the change. There was no need to run a shuttle train between Morningside and Newmarket. Most of the present Newmarket and Mount Ed»:i passengers would travel to or from Auckland instead of Newmarket and Mount Eden were the deviation made. Passengers travelling from the South to the Kaipara line would not have to change at Newmarket. However, electrification, though desirable, was not essential, since the tunnel would be two separate doubleline tunnels, each threequarters of a mile long. A longer double-line tunnel was operated by steam between Caversham and Burnside, Dunedin. RETAINING TRAFFIC

In view of the situation of the new station, only the provision of another station, such as that suggested near the Town Hall, would retain suburban passenger traffic on the Kaipara and the South lines for the railways against competition. 'With the deviation, there would be easier gradients than the heavy ones on the Inconvenient Newmarket circuit. Lower working costs would probably pay interest on the capital expenditure.

“In the 1924 statement is is estimated that the saving of a mile and a-half between Auckland and Morningside on !i0 trains a day, would amount to 23,7-45 train miles a year, the cost of operating which is somewhere about £12,000,” the report adds. "If the Aucltland-Morningside deviation is not proceeded with, duplication between Auckland and Morningside is essential at a cost of £139,000. The difference between this and the original estimate is £316,000, which at 5 per cent, per annum is equivalent to £ 13,800, or very little in excess of the estimated saving, on account of reduced mileage only, in working expenses. The fallacy of the net ton miles argument is shown by the fact that the construct ion of the Auckland Westfield deviation has increased the distance between Auckland and Ota huhu by approximately two miles. In spite of this the saving in working expenses through flatter gradients has been estimated to pay more than the interest on the capital expenditure.

The Harbour Bridge did not come into the question as most of the Kaipara line traffic was the city side of Tahekeroa, the most southerly point which could be linked with a North Shore line. Greater difficulties in tunnel construction under the city had been met successfully in larger cities, and there was also the question of unemployment relief.

SHUTTLE SERVICE I ' '■ I MR. TAVERNER EXPLAINS FIGURES TRAFFIC PROBLEMS Explaining- his opinion that a shuttle service between Newmarket and Morn- | ingside was needed, the Minister of Kail ways, the Hon. W. B. Taverner, j wrote to the Chamber of Commerce! saying* that Newmarket passengers ; formed 25 per cent, of the daily aver- ‘ age of 4,720 people carried between , Auckland and Kaipara line stations. i Returns, based on traffic for the year j ended March 31. 1929, for passengers to and from Kaipara line stations and ; K’.o city stalions were: From and to. ordinary, p.o. Season, p.c. Auckland 153.081 42.07 053, 22 S 53.29 Newmarket 07,552 15.85 325,732 29.15 Mt. Eden 137,970 38.48 139,702 12. IS Information would shortly be available on the total number of suburban Passengers handled from Auckland station between 4 p.m. and 6 pan. from Monday and Friday. In a letter to the Chamber’s committee. Mr. Taverner has stated that, under the estimates on which the scheme was rejected, provision had - been made for three underground j stations. The committee asserts that j more thnn one underground station is | not necessary. The handling of i traffic to and from the new Auckland 1 station was likely to create serious problems and a station near the town Hall, to take a portion of the traffic, j would be beneficial, especially in meet- i competition from other transport

1 1 — ■ ~ i forms. The Auckland public was i averse to "feeded” services and it ] would be about a mile from the centre t of gravity of Auckland’s business area, 1 about two-thirds of the way from Cus- ( toms Street up Queen Street to Wei- J lesley Street, to the new station. The walk would be about 20 minutes and i the tram journey would be cumber- J t some. 1 The difficulties would be greatly j s accentuated at peak hours in suburban i 1 traffic and the question was whether | « Iranis could handle the volume,