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HAWERA RAILWAY STATION.

PROVISION FOR FUTURE DEVELOPMENT. PLANS FOR REMOVAL. An important conference eventuated on Friday, when the Mayor, president and members of the Chamber of Commerce interviewed Messrs. S. W. McVilly (General Manager of Railways), H. H. Buxton (chief traffic manager), F. W. McLean (chief engineer), A. C. Koch (district engineer), and A. K. Harris (traffic manager, Wanganui). The Mayor briefly welcomed the officers to Hawera, and congratulated Mr. McVilly on his promotion. Mr. McVilly, after acknowledging the Mayor's welcome and congratulations, remarked that Mr. McLean had sketch

plans of the proposed alterations, and it would facilitate matters, if firstly, he explained these to the deputation. Mr. McLean, in doing so, remarked

that some time ago certain improvements to the local station were de-

cided upon, but these were held in abeyance during the war. The general manager had now given authority for these to be proceeded with forthwith, but, in consultation with Mr. Koch, and taking

a broad view of the probable development of this province and the probable Important terminal centres, they decided to submit a more comprehensive scheme for Hawera. The present station site tvould not permit of the carrying out of plans they now suggested. Consequently they proposed to go further north and construct a new and thor-

oughly up-to-date passenger station just this side of the Turuturu Road, and the cattleyards on the northern side of the Turuturu Road. This would involve the closing of the level crossing at the Turuturu Road, and in place of this the Department proposed to construct a road from the Turuturu Road south-

wxrds alongside the railway line as far aa the dip in the land, where ft subway would be built m and the road carried oil to connect with the end of Wilson Street. This plan would also permit of the Department so altering the gradient of the line near the present railway station that the line could go under the roadway at the Tawhiti Road crossing and so remove all risk of accident frOm passing trains, shunting operations, etc., that the public now had to face at this dangerous crossing.

Mr. McVilly, in supplementing the enineer's remarks, pointed out that tne resent proposals would have several adantages to commend them. Thev ■wild get rid entirely of the cattle yard ifliculty, which had been a burning uestion since 1898. It would be absoutely impossible on the present station ite to provide the facilities that they, ,s railway men, knew should be pr,oided for a growing business town like Jawera, which was going to be a very mportant railway centre in the near uture. They, as railway men, antici>ated that its importance would be jreatly increased with the opening,of the Stratford line to Oliakukura (the Norm ' sland main trunk line junction). When ;hnt was completed Hawera would be 09 miles nearer Auckland by that line hin by Marton, and the business that ivonld gravitate to Hawera would be ;v,nh that it would be absolutely impossible for the Railway Department to ;leal with it unless they had station accommodation such as they now proposed. The scheme of improvements that they had originally involved an expenditure of between £7500 and £SOOO; the new scheme would involve double that sum, and they<Bould be sure I,bat the Railway Department would not propose expending that extra amount of public money here unless they believed it to be absolutely necessary. He desired to impress upon the deputation (he fact that when making plans for a station in an important and growing centre like Hawera they must not only consider the needs of the present or the next ten years, but the next 50 years. 'Die Department was considering not only the position from a railway point of view, but from the view of the ultimate best interests of Hawera, and he trusted that the public would realise and appreciate the position- They were satisfied that Hawera was going to be an important sub-terminal railway station, and as such would require certain yard and station accommodation. He repeated that the scheme the Department now submitted was the best from the Department's point of view and from the point of vicfc of the interests of Hawera. If this scheme could not now j be carried out it would mean that ultimately the Department would have to go outside for its station ai-ommoda-[ion. and this would not be in the town's interests. Apparently, although the proposed station would be half a mile I further away than the present station, the tendency to closer settlement was in that direction, so that in a very few years it would be more central than ftppeared at present. During an informal discussion ft kej plan railway system of this proi vince was laid on the table, and th( railway officers pointed out that whef 1 the Stratford line to connect with tlx Main Trunk line was completed, and th< To Roti-New Plymouth line was ii operation, Hawera must be the import ant sub-terminal centre. Although thi NT i;w Plymouth - Opim ake -Te Roti pro posed line would be 56 miles to Hawera lis against 47 miles from New Plymoutl ' via Stratford, the gradient would b so much easier that they felt sure i very' lfirge proportion of the traffic "woul l come that way. Hawera, too, was 5 miles from Wanganui, so that, considei ing the whole railway system wnen com plated, it was apparent that Hawer must be a very important sub-termins station. The fact was pointed out to the rai. way officers that the closing of the lev< crossings at .Turnturu Road might 1 objected to, as this was really an ai terial road, but the chief engineer r< plied that under the Railway Depan input's plans they were providing a roa that would shorten the distance 1 Hawera for the Turnturu Toad settle! by half a mile. Considering all the facts, the Mayi president and members of the Chamb of Commerce considered the plans no submitted by the Railway D'cpurtmei to be the best, in the general intern and gave their unanimous approval them. In thanking the railway officia for the information given by them, tl Mayor expressed pleasure that a compr hensive scheme was now about to adopted for a new and up-to-date st lion, and that the work would be p in hand with the least possible delay. I Star.

Permanent link to this item
Hononga pūmau ki tēnei tūemi

https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/TDN19191222.2.53

Bibliographic details
Ngā taipitopito pukapuka

Taranaki Daily News, 22 December 1919, Page 6

Word count
Tapeke kupu
1,065

HAWERA RAILWAY STATION. Taranaki Daily News, 22 December 1919, Page 6

HAWERA RAILWAY STATION. Taranaki Daily News, 22 December 1919, Page 6

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