Making room for bigger trains

JIM CHIPP

REMAKING HISTORY: Ontrack regional manager Mark Gullery shows a core cut from the wall of the Johnsonville railway tunnels in the process of upgrading them to accommodate the regions new trains.

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The Wellingtonian

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Workers have cored holes through the walls of the seven tunnels of the Johnsonville rail every two metres. They will pump concrete into the cavity behind the brick surfaces to reinforce the walls, before lowering the floors by 60cm. The higher tunnels will accommodate the new fleet of Matangi trains, which are due to begin arriving in 2010.

The $8 million Johnsonville line project also includes extending the three crossing loops and upgrading the platforms.

Wellington Region Rail Programme director David Gordon says the construction work has attracted interest from passers-by because it looks, and at times, sounds dramatic as workers carve into the hillside.

"We moved approximately 2000 cubic metres of earth during October at the site between two tunnels. This has created the necessary space to extend the length of the crossing loop, which is used as trains pass each other and will allow longer trains to use the line. We also built access roads to the site, which was otherwise difficult to reach, except by rail. The next step will be to a retaining wall and then the extended tracks will be laid in January."

The Johnsonville line was built by the Wellington and Manawatu Rail Company and opened in 1883, forming part of the North Island main trunk railway. It was electrified in 1938.

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A J   #1   05:26 pm Jan 28 2009

If your going to revamp the trains how about overhauling the train conductors while your at it. Last weekend my family and I went into town to see the Santa parade via the train. We were met by surly, scruffy and downright agressive train conductors going both into and back from town. It actually put a downer on really nice day.

We had some friends over from England not so long ago who took the train north sightseeing. When they got back all they could talk about was the attitude of the train conductors - their rude and downright agressive attitude towards travellers.

Ive been thinking about taking the train to work rather than the bus but after the weekends experience Im sticking to the bus. Fancy train or not.

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