Grade in the Lyttelton Tunnel.

When the Provincial Government took over the Railways from the contractors it did not insist upon the alteration of the then grade in the Lyttelton Tunnel to accord with the grade specified in the contract. The construction levels did not correspond at the point of junction in the tunnel where the workings met and some adjustment had to be made to obtain a suitable grade. The contract provided for a grade of 1 in 287 through the tunnel, but when adjusted by the contractors the grade remained in places as steep as 1 in 140. The Railway Engineer advised that this did not affect materially the working in the meantime and that improvement could be made gradually in the course of maintenance without interruption of the traffic. Rather than cause further delay in settlement the Government accepted the position.