OPUNAKE RAILWAY.

Taranaki Daily News, 24 May 1921, Page 4

OPUNAKE RAILWAY.

TO BE THE MAIN* ROUTE. NEW PLYMOUTH THE TERMINUS. That the Opunake-Moturoa railway line, when completed, would become the main route to New Plymouth was the opinion expressed by Mr. F. W. McLean, engineer-in-chief to the Railway Department, in tlie course of a discus* sion at Plymouth yesterday between the Harbor Board and the General Manager of Railways (Mr. McVilly), and heads of the department. The question arose during the discussion of the junction of the proposed line with the main line at New Plymouth, and Mr. McLean stated that the Opunake line would join in close to the spot where the road junctions with the Breakwater road. The Public Works Department, in laying off the railway, he said, had anticipated that the grade would be not more than one in 100, and the. sharpest curves 15 chains. This would mean that the main route from Hawera to New Plymouth would be by Opunake, and that all goods south of Eltham would come by this railway, being the easiest route. This being so, it was necessary to have accommodation for both passenger and goods traffic at Moturoa. The passenger accommodation would not be extensive, as it was not intended to make Moturoa the terminal station. New Plymouth would still be the final station On the line.