RAILCAR LINK TO TANEATUA IS NOT TO BE—YET

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 13, Issue 54, 18 February 1949, Page 5

RAILCAR LINK TO TANEATUA IS NOT TO BE—YET

Although interested parties in the Bay of Plenty have long been agitating for a railcar service to supplement the present rail service of passengers to and from Taneatua, present indications are that there is little hope of the requests being realised. Whakatane travellers would find such a service more convenient than that provided at present. An application for a railcar to run between Taneatua and Waihi was made recently by the Tauranga Chamber of Commerce. They have received a reply from the Minister of Railways, Mr Semple.

The Minister states: “With reference to your representations relative t.o the provision of a railcar service between Taneatua and Waihi, I desire to inform you that at the present time the department is having some difficulty in maintaining the existing railcar services and it is impossible to extend their running further at this stage. Endeavours are being made to obtain further railcars from overseas, but no definite information is available yet as to when the new units are likely to reach this country. “In the meantime,” the letter adds, “your application has been noted and will be given careful consideration together with the many others received, when the new railcars are being allocated and the most suitable areas and routes selected.”