RAILWAY STATION.

Manawatu Standard, Volume XLIX, Issue 242, 11 September 1929, Page 7

RAILWAY STATION.

POSITION IN WELLINGTON

LOCATION OF GOODS YARD. Per Press Association. WELLINGTON, Sept. 10. The Mayor of Wellington has sent a letter to the Minister of Railways in connection with Wellington’s proposed new station, in the course of which ho states. —“Many statements having appeared in the Press, associated with the name of the Mayor of Wellington regarding Wellington’s now station, building and yards, and as these have been more or less ambiguous, I now commit the matter to writing. There can then be no misunderstanding. “In the first place, I may point out that it is far from my mind to embarrass either yourself or your officers in wiiat I know is a very difficult problem, viz., the lay-out of a modern railway station yard. This great undertaking, once completed, cannot be undone. The question that 1 ask you specially to consider is the large one of policy, seriously affecting the future of the City of Wellington—whether, in view of the extraordinarily small area of flat land available in the city (465 acres) it is wise to utilise so large an area (110 acres) for railway yards, and this question must be considered not in the light of conditions obtaining at present, but in view of conditions that will obtain at least 50 years hence. To make provision for warehouse and business sites during the past 50 years 183 acres of land have been reclaimed from the liarbour, apart from railway reclamations (110 acres). Now, if all this aduonal area lias been required to provide for an additional population ol 84,000 during the past 50 years, where is the city to find the warehouse and business areas to provide for the additional population of 200,000 which can be anticipated during the next 50 years,” asks Air Troup. “I therefore raise the question whether it is wise or expedient, in view of the shortage of flat land, to occupy in the very centre of the city, 110 acres with railway station yards, that being the area contained in the new passenger and goods yards as laid out. “The suggestion I offer is this—that the Railway Department provide only for a passenger yard and sufficient goods shed accommodation to meet local requirements at Wellington, and construct the main goods and marshalling yards by means of a reclamation at the junction of the Hutt Road with the Potone beach. If this were done, 40 acres would probably suffice for the Wellington passenger yard and goods sheds and sidings, leaving 70 acres for the Railway Department to lease for warehouse and business premises; and may 1 say here that 1 do not suggest that the new station building should be located at Davis Street, as has been stated. I see no reason why it should not be located either at Bunny Street or at the end of Lambton Quay, where the present Lambton station is, preferably the latter, for reasons of city transport. “I may point out that rarely in any station yards in the large cities of Great Britain, Europe or America are the goods yards and the passenger yards contiguous. They are usually separate, the passenger yard being in the centre of the city and the goods or marshalling yard often many miles away.”