RAILWAY PROGRESS

Wairarapa Times-Age, 21 June 1938, Page 7

RAILWAY PROGRESS

« SOUTH ISLAND MAIN TRUNK. MAY BE COMPLETED AHEAD OF TIME. (By Telegraph—Press Association.) BLENHEIM, June 20. By Christmas the railhead on the southern section of the South Island Main Trunk line will be transferred from Parnassus to Conway, according to Mr E. P. Meachen, M.P., who, as one of the members co-opted by the Minister of Public Works, the Hon. R. Semple, has just completed a week's tour, of railway construction works. He found satisfactory progress being made and stated that the schedule set by Mr Semple was well up to date. There was every reason to believe that the whole undertaking, which is one of the largest in the country, would be completed ahead of time. The new length of line between Parnassus and Conway, it is expected, will be available initially for the transport of live stock only, eliminating 15 miles of road droving. The actual permanent way is now being laid and steel, already fabricated, is, waiting in the Parnassus yards to complete the bridges on the section. Mr Meachen reported favourable progress in tunnelling and in other directions. He mentioned that the piers for the big Clarence Rivetbridge, which is the principal undertaking on the northern section, are expected to be completed in August. As it may be 18 months before the necessary steel for the bridge is all fabricated at the Hutt Railway Workshops, it is possible that a temporary bridge will be used by work trains to facilitate track laying between Clarence and Kaikoura.