BRITISH RAILWAYS.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 105, 27 January 1908, Page 8

BRITISH RAILWAYS.

• When the proposals for a working arrangement between the; Great-'jXnrthern and'the Great Cont'ral Railways jiro.'submitted to tho ' shareholders', they will, .it is stated; he found to bo in effect:' 1.-Tho-stopping of duplicate trams. ; ■ ; 2. The. abolition of duplicate receiving of- . : fices- for.-coodsl..' '. When' fares are dealt with'later,: no .increase is expected, and' the : economies' effected m'ay \ even lead to reductions. ' ' ■• • By rearranging the time-tables, there-will, it. is claimed bo no - lessening of faoilities, though unnecessary trainii are'cut off.' As each company has its own receiving offices for goods, great economy can 'be cffectcd by combination. For instance, in iLondon. tho Great . Central take goods, tn the docks-by-vans, whilo' the' Gror.t Northern go' to tho.docks by. rail. The vau servieo conid bo abolished. No statement lias been ma,do as to tho question of a reduction of staff. i Tho official announcement "of the GreatCentral's secretary str.tcd that if tlw proposals are approved J>y the shareholders .they, then-go beforo the Railway Commiusison.' ', 'Tho entente is expected'. to : be th'o foro-, runner of ethers, but whether tho companies act spontaneously or not-, the Board of Trade intends to. appoint a Commission to deal with exces'sivo competition, and examine tho desirability of extensive interworking as well as fares and rates.