On the Continent.

Across the Channel, equal importance is attached to sound railway track, and on the Northern Railway of France there has recently been completed the re-laying with specially strong track of the trunk routes radiating from Paris to Calais, via Amiens and Abbeville; to Lille, via Longeau and Arras; and to Erquellines, via Tergnier—routes which will doubtless be familiar to many New Zealand railway folk whom military duty brought to Europe during the world war.

In its strengthening plan the Northern Railway of France has employed 59 ft. flat bottomed steel rails weighing 92½lb., with 110½lb. steel on tunnel sections. Each rail rests upon thirty oak sleepers, and is secured by steel screws. Fishplates are 25 inches long, while steel bars about 10 feet long are secured to the top of the middle sleepers of each rail to prevent creeping. Slag ballast is 12 inches thick under sleepers, and the top of the sleepers is sunk to ballast surface. The new tracks, which carry a heavier passenger traffic than any other northern French line, are safe for travel at 75 miles per hour.

Over the Paris-Calais route there is now operated one of Europe's most luxurious passenger services. This is the new “Golden Arrow” service between Paris and Calais, in connection with the boat service of the Southern Railway of England from Victoria station, London. Limited Pullman trains in this service cover the 185½ miles between the French capital and Calais in 190 minutes, providing the quickest link between Paris and London.

In connection with the working of the Northern Railway's permanent way department, especial interest is attached to the elaborate track reclamation plant established by the line at Moulin-le-Neuf. This depot employs 800 men, and includes saw mills and creosoting plant for timber preparation and treatment, and special equipment for the preparing of recovered main-line rails for use on secondary routes. Second-hand rails are cut off at the ends, re-drilled for fishbolts, straightened, planed, and re-issued to the track maintenance gangs. This re-use of discarded main-line rails on secondary routes is to-day a feature of permanent way practice throughout Europe, and in this way vast economy has been found possible.