The survey was completed, but unfortunately for the members of the committee an attempt to solicit donations to cover their costs met with a less than enthusiastic response.

The Council chairman used the opportunity to impress upon Ward the importance of a railway to Martinborough, and also made clear the inadequacy of the roads in the region which were not expected to cope with future traffic requirements.

In evidence presented to the Fay-Raven Commission of 1924, the Minister of Public Works stated that it was his understanding that the siding was to be the start of a branch line to Martinborough.

In 1925, concerned that Martinborough may not receive what it was due in terms of transport links, the town’s administration prevailed upon the Railways Department for improved services.

One of the principal concerns was, given that the town was not to receive a direct rail connection as originally envisaged, that merchants and passengers in the town should not be disadvantaged by having to pay the higher rates of private transport operators compared with the cheaper railway rates they would have been able to pay had the railway come to Martinborough.

As an alternative to the abandoned idea of a railway line, they suggested that the Department should provide services using an electric tram, trolley bus, or light rail system.

The Department never seriously considered these proposals when, after examining the relevant information, it concluded that the revenue to be derived from such a service would not come close to covering the capital and operational costs involved, and that the only viable option was to use petrol-powered lorries and buses.

A new survey was called for by the Engineer-in-Chief of the Public Works Department on 10 March 1913 following the passage of the Railways Authorisation Act 1912 through Parliament the previous year.

The District Engineer, in response to a later missive on the subject, stated that he expected the survey to be completed by the end of February 1914 and the plans by 31 March.

The political party had travelled to Featherston from Wellington by train, and were then conveyed to Martinborough by car, being shown the route of the railway line along the way.

It was felt that a decision on the junction of the Martinborough Branch with the main line should be deferred until such time as it was known what route the Rimutaka Deviation would take.

Opposition to the line was growing amongst residents who did not expect that it would be able to earn a sufficient income even if it were built, and local farmers who objected to having their lands bisected by the proposed railway corridor.

Estimated costs were provided in the original 1908 survey as follows: This option would have extended the Greytown Branch across State Highway 2 and then on to Martinborough, a distance of 9 miles (14 km).

However, when investigating options for the Rimutaka Deviation, a route via the Tauherenikau River Valley and directly to Woodside, bypassing Featherston, was considered.

Had this deviation been adopted, the rail distance between Martinborough and Wellington would have been 4.5 miles (7.2 km) shorter via Greytown compared with a route via Featherston.