Otira Tunnel Traffic.

Since it was opened, six years ago, the traffic from west to east through the Otira Tunnel has more than doubled, says the “Christchurch Times.” In the past year the total quantity of tonnage was 633,603 tons, and in the first year that the tunnel was opened the total was 302,044 tons. No tally is kept of the traffic from east to west, as this is composed mainly of empty trucks. There has been only one interruption in traffic during the last twelve months. This was caused by washouts during the heavy rain in January, when, in three days, it was possible to get only six trains through. Up till September last, the tunnel was worked for one shift each day, but it was found that the traffic was becoming so heavy that it was necessary to work two shifts. This has been in operation since that time, and the innovation has amply repaid the Railway Department, for the amount of traffic has grown tremendously. The Otira Tunnel was constructed to handle trains totalling 1,000 tons a day; but during the past year an average of over 2,000 tons has been put through each working day. In one period early this winter, over 6,000 tons were hauled through in two days. The heaviest week on record occurred at the end of May, when 20.129 tons were hauled.