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The New Zealand Railways Magazine, Volume 3, Issue 11 (March 1, 1929)

War Delayed Work

War Delayed Work.

Referring to the history of the electrification, the Prime Minister said that after Parliament had granted its authority for the work, New Zealand, as part of the British Empire, went through the terrible war. The war brought a financial cyclone, which swept the British Empire and did not leave New Zealand out of its course. Consequently it was not possible to proceed with the electrification for some years, and the consummation of their hopes had taken fourteen years.

It would be supremely ridiculous on his part or on the part of anyone present to think that the electrification of the railways of New Zealand would stop with the completion of seven miles of line between Christchurch and Lyttelton. The hydro-electric schemes had been introduced to utilise the waste waters of the great lakes, and even with the development that had taken place New Zealand still had more water running to waste than any other country.

The electrification of the line was the initiation of something that was certain to be extended. He believed that a cheap process for the application of electricity to the railways page 15 throughout the world would be evolved, and when they saw what was being done in England they must realise that there were wonderful possibilities ahead.