SOUTH MANCHURIAN RAILWAY.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LI, Issue 178, 18 July 1908, Page 3

SOUTH MANCHURIAN RAILWAY.

According to the last intelligence i which readied Renter's Agency from Manchuria, great progress is being made in improving flie'South Manchurian railway. During the Kusso-Japaucse war the whole of the line in occupation of the Japanese was reduced from the broad Kussiaii gauge of sft. to the narrow ■'"panese gauge of ,3ft. Bin. After the war it was decided to make the South Manchurian line of the same gauge as the Chinese and Corean systems—viz., the standard European width. The work of laying a third rail and extending the line to -the standard gauge has so far progressed that from May 20 a service of standard-gauge trains were to be running from Kirin (Dalny) to Chang Chun —the whole length of the main line. A complete new plant for signalling, for water and coal supply, and for the service of passenger and goods trains has been installed. Work was

also in progress on the branch lines, so that by the. eud of this mouth the whole South" Manchiiiian system (main audi brunch lines) will he run on the standard European gauge. All the carriages will be of the corridor type, and heated by steam, and by the autumn sleeping cars and dining saloons will be attached to the trains. It is intended to double

the line between Kirin (Dalny) and Su-cha-tung (near Mukden), the station for the Fa-shun coalfields, and this work, which is now in progress, will be completed by December next.' "With the new train service the journey from Kirin (Dalny) to C'hang-clmn, a distance of 4.38 miles, will be performed in 20 hours.