FASTER EXPRESS SERVICES.

Press, Volume LXI, Issue 18368, 29 April 1925, Page 9

FASTER EXPRESS SERVICES.

TIME-TABLE AMENDED. On May 11th the new time-table for the speeding-up of the Christchurchlnvercargill and Christehurch-Duntdin expresses will come into operation, and the travelling time between these stations will be considoiably reduced. The planning of tho now time-table has created a great deal of work for the local railway tiaific staff, but the new times hare been definitely fixed, and particulars as to the running of expresses under tho altered schedule were announced by the District Traffic Manager, Mr H. Chapman, yesterday. Under the new scheme the present 8.50 a.m. Cbristchurch-Invercargill express will run daily. It will leave Christchurch at the usual time, Rakaia at 9.49 a.m., Ashburton 10.21 a.m. Orari 11.-1 a.m., Temuka 11.18 a.m., and will arrive at Timaru at 11.35 a.m. and depart from that station at 11.41 a.m. It will reach Dunedin at 4.18 p.m., and depart for Invercargill at 4.40 p.m., arriving at that station at 8.00 p.m. instead of 10.15 p.m., as at present. The train will make the same stops as at preiient. Tho present 12.20 p.m. C'hristchurchDunedin mail train will run on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. It will stop at Dunsaudel when required, and will depart from Rakaia at 1.25 p.m., Ashburton 2.1 p.m., Hlinds, 2.20 p.m., Rangitata 2.43 p.m., Orari 2.56 p.m., Temuka 3.10 p.m., arriving at Timaru at 3.28 p.m., and departing for Dunedin at 3.34 p.m., arriving at the last-named station at 8.45 p.m., instead of 9.25 p.m. as at present. The stops which will be deleted on this service will be Chertsey, Winchester. Mahenp, Herbert, JHillgrove, and Waitati.

The present 6.10 a.m. Invercargill'Christehurcli express will leave the southern station at 7 a.m. daily, and will arrive at Dunedin at 11.15 a.m., departing at 11.30 a.m. It will arrive at Timaru at 4.7 p.m., departing at 4.13 p.m. It will leave Temuka at 4.31 p.m., Orari. 4.51 p.m., Ashbuiton 5.43 p.m., Rakaia 6.1'. p.m., arriving at Christchurch at 7.0 p.m., instead of 7.28 p.m. as at picsent. This train will leave Christchurch at 7.18 p.m. to connect with the ferry, instead of 7.40 p.m. as at present. Tlio train for Christchurch passengers fo r :,ho ferry will leave here at 6.50 p.m., instead of 7.18 p.m., and will run alongside the steamer.

! The present 8 a.m. Dunedin-Chnst church mail train wili leave the south- | em station at 8.40 a.m. on Mondays, i Wednesdays, and Fridays, arming ai Timaru at 1.47 p.m., and departing at 1.53 r>.m. It will leave Temuka at 2.14. p.m., Orari 2.31 p.m., Rangitat& 2.45 p.m., Hinds 3.4 p.m., Ashburton 3.32 p.m., Rakaia 4 p.m., Rolleston ;4.30 p.m., Hornby 4.51 p.m., arriving at Christchurch at 5.3 p.m., instead) of 5.8 p.m. as at present. The stops deleted on. this run will be Waitati, Hillgrove, Herbert, Maheno, Winchester, and Dunsandel. As far as Mid Canterbury is concerned, the only stops cut out which will affect this district will be Winchester, Ihinsandel, and Chertsey. Passengers, however, will be able to pick up slow trains at convenient times to catch the expresses at the stopping places. The present proposal is to run the In-vercafgill-Chxistchurch expresses daily till the end of May, when the question of continuing the daily running will bo reconsidered. It is an experiment to ascertain whether the service will induce sufficient passenger traffic to warrant the daily service. As was to be expected, several slight alterations have been made to the branch lino ..tir.ve-tablea in order to adjust crossing places. The Christchurch-Ashburton 7.20 a.m. train will leave Christchurch at the usual time, but it will leave Rakaia at 9.22 a.m., Chertsey at 9.33 a.m. and will arrive at Ashburton at 10.4 The usual 3.50 p.m. train from Ashburton to Christchurch will leave Buruham at 5.53, p.m., and arnv> at Christchurch at 6.5S p.m., instead of 710 p.m. This will be the case on every dav of the week with the exception of Wednesday, on which day it will leave Burnham at 5.46 p.m., and arrive at Christchurch "at 6.40 p.m. On the Fairlie .branch, the afternoon train from Timaru will.leave at 4.22 pm., instead of at 4 p.m. This arrangement will allow passengers on the Fairlie branch to connect with the Invercargill express 'e.t Timaru. Although there .will be an alteration in the ferry service during the winter through the running ol the Mararoa three days a week, this boat will be held to enable t>assenser s on the Invercargill express which will arrive at 7.5 p.m., to connect.