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Ashburton Guardian, Volume 1, Issue 144, 26 August 1880, Page 2

Complaints are rife regarding the proposed change in the railway timetable. Under present circumstances country people find it quite _ early enough to get up in the morning to catch the first train for Christchurch, which leaves the Ashburton station at 6.45 a - m - To a person resident in the township this means pretty early rising, but to a man who has to ride, say, ten or twelve miles before he can Join the train, it means being astir long before the lark. The proposed alteration in the time-table, which will come in force on the first of the next month, shifts back the starting of the train threequarters of an hour—namely, to six o’clock. A country resident must rise at three o’clock if he would go by this train, and the alteration will therefore mean coming into town the previous day, and staying over night. The second train leaves at g. 30 under the existing table. This time is perfectly satisfactory, and country people can go by it to Christchurch, do their business, and return by the 5 p.m. train—doing their business in Christchurch hurriedly, no doubt, but still leaving it possible for them to go to town and come back in one day. The change will remove this possibility, as, in addition to the first train being thrown back three three-quarters of an hour by the new time-table, the second train is to be thrown forward a whole hour, and the 9.30 becomes the 10.30. The last train leaves Christchurch just now at 5 o’clock. The new time-table starts it at 4.20. The new arrangements are such as townspeople, and those living very near to it, may survive; but to those living at some distance away the changes _ mean breaking in upon three days, if they would make a journey to the city. They must come to Ashburton the night before their journey to catch the

early train : 4.20 is top early for them to leave Christchurch in the afternoon, and have all their work done, so that they must needs remain over night there again. We understand representations on the subject are to be made to the authorities.