COAL SUPPLIES

Wairarapa Times-Age, 9 August 1940, Page 2

COAL SUPPLIES

IMPROVED POSITION RAILWAY RESTRICTIONS EASED. RESERVE STOCKS BEING REPLENISHED. (By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright! WELLINGTON. This Day. An improvement in coal supplies has resulted in restrictions placed on the running of excursion trains to race meetings, football matches and other sports gatherings being lifted recently by the Railway Department. When inquiries were made at the head office in Ayellington yesterday it was stated that more coal was now available and that reserve stocks were again being replenished. During the shortage which became acute about three months ago, the denartment cancelled a large number of Sunday trains in different parts of New Zealand and placed restrictions on excursion trains.

About three weeks later an improvement in supplies resulted in the restrictions on Sunday trains being lifted, and the position continued to improve. During the period when supplies were very short the Railways Department was compelled to draw on reserve stocks of Newcastle coal which were already in New Zealand, particularly during busy weeks when traffic was unusually heavy. Since then reserve stocks of Newcastle coal have been replenished by the arrival of further shipments.

At present the department is carrying on as usual with New Zealand coal, the production of which is sufficient to meet current demands. Where possible reserves of New Zealand coal are also being built up. and in all coalmining centres the men are working every second Saturday in an effort to increase production. Locomotives on the New Zealand railways burn about 11.000 tons of coal a week, consumption in the North Island being heavier than in the South Island. New Zealand hard coal, produced on the West Coal of the South Island, can be stored for certain periods and Newcastle coal may be held in reserve almost indefinitely. In the North Island, where the shortage was more acute, about 4000 tons of the fuel consumed each week consists of soft coal, produced in the Waikato district, and the balance required is hard coal obtained from the South Island.

The electrification of the WellingtonPaekakariki section of the Main Trunk will result in a certain saving of coal, but as the distance between Wellington and Paekakariki is no more than 24J miles, the saving will represent only a small percentage of the coal consumed by locomotives on New Zealand lines.