▁Conseil ▁General ▁hes itated ▁to ▁give ▁the ▁required ▁loan ▁necessary ▁for ▁the ▁enter prise .. ▁The ▁following ▁governor ▁Paul ▁Fe illet ▁was ▁able ▁to ▁elect ▁a ▁Conseil ▁General ▁who ▁borrow ed ▁the ▁sum ▁necessary ▁for ▁the ▁execution ▁of ▁a ▁program ▁of ▁works ▁including ▁the ▁construction ▁of ▁a ▁railway . ▁ ▁The ▁line ▁was ▁inaugur ated ▁August ▁ 1 7 , ▁ 1 9 0 1 , ▁but ▁opened ▁to ▁users ▁first ▁on ▁December ▁ 3 0 , ▁ 1 9 0 4 . ▁The ▁am bit ious ▁initial ▁project ▁had ▁been ▁consider ably ▁trunc ated ▁as ▁the ▁line ▁stopped ▁at ▁D umb é a . ▁The ▁deep ▁cut ▁to ▁bring ▁the ▁line ▁across ▁a ▁hill ▁and ▁ ▁the ▁T ong hou é ▁T unnel , ▁gave ▁work ▁for ▁four ▁years ▁and ▁created ▁some ▁permanent ▁jobs . ▁But ▁the ▁line ▁carried ▁passengers ▁and ▁goods ▁only ▁sevent een ▁kilometer ▁to ▁the ▁cost ▁of ▁more ▁than ▁four ▁and ▁a ▁half ▁million ▁fran cs . ▁ ▁In ▁ 1 9 0 8 , ▁the ▁Société ▁des ▁Char b onn ages ▁de ▁Nouvelle - Cal éd onie , ▁which ▁explo ited ▁the ▁depos its ▁of ▁N ond ou é , ▁proposed ▁to ▁build ▁at ▁its ▁own ▁exp ense ▁a ▁D umb é a - Pa ï ta ▁section . ▁The ▁Conseil ▁General ▁adopted ▁the ▁project , ▁contract ed ▁a ▁new ▁loan ▁and ▁the ▁works . ▁The ▁new ▁section , ▁which ▁required ▁the ▁construction ▁of ▁a ▁ 7 9 ▁m ▁bridge ▁over ▁the ▁D umb é a ▁and ▁the