RAILWAY DELAYS

Wairarapa Times-Age, 14 March 1940, Page 5

RAILWAY DELAYS

MANAWATU GORGE BLOCKAGE.

EXTENSION OF TUNNEL NECESSARY.

(By Telegraph—Press Association.) WELLINGTON, This Day.

A railway official said yesterday that the blockage to the Stratford line and the restriction of traffic in the Manawatu Gorge to daylight working was causing the department serious difficulties. "We are having difficulty with the turnover of wagons," he added. "This is the busiest season of the year and the delays to loaded wagons are imposing a severe strain on rolling stock resources."

It is expected that the Manawatu. Gorge will be open continuously for passenger and freight traffic from next Thursday night, the day before the holidays, to the night of Easter Monday. Tiie line will then be closed to ell night traffic to enable the work of extending the portal of No. 1 tunnel, on the Palmerston North side, to be continued.

The tunnel is being extended to protect the fine.from possibility of falls of rock. Three weeks ago traffic was held up because of a major slip which came down near No. 2 tunnel, threequarters of a mile from where the present work is in progress. It was slated yesterday that the task of extending No. 1 tunnel cannot be conveniently carried out while the line is (..pen to traffic, hence the restriction to daylight running. Provided the weather remains fine, it is expected that within a month to six weeks daylight traffic will be permitted on the Stratford-Okahukura railway, extensively damaged by floods, slips and 'washouts on February 25.