The Main Trunk Line.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XLVI, Issue 29, 4 February 1904, Page 4

The Main Trunk Line.

After his vidt to ike Wairarnpa J anil Hawke's Hay districts, tlie Minuter lor Public Works left for liangitikei, whence he made a brief inspection of the progress of the North island Main Trunk Railway works at the end of the line. The line has been completed for a' distance of lour and a half miles beyond the Mangaweka Viaduct, to where the Poi loi bridge is b«-i»g erected. Thai bridge is nearly completed. and it is expected that the lirst locomotive will cross this week. The section between • the bridge and the Taihapp tunnel is now ready for plate-lay-ing. The Minister was ui'ged by the settlers to make a start with* the line to 1 kitn and Torere. Sawmilling, he slntes, gi\es indication of being wry active an L*kil.u, and he was told that when the line was completed the output there will bo something like 4li,(U)iUt a day. The Minister pi'.omisod to pusih on lhd line as quickly as .possible, providing* that it -did not necessitate retarding the progress of the line 'to Taihape. That line must be completed, and he was confident that trains would be ruinuing into Tiaihapv by June next. A contract for (Meeting the station at that place has bevii accepted for some time, and the material is now on the ground. (rood progress is being niiyde with t'> work beyoml Taihape to Mataroa, the chief works on this section being a larg ; e embankment and the M-ataroa tunnel. The work on this tunnel is being carried on night and 'day, the men being divided into three shifts of eighthours each. At present there are about five humired men c.ngagvd on tile works' at the southern end of the .line.—Evening Post.