MAIN TRUNK LINE.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 332, 20 October 1908, Page 9

MAIN TRUNK LINE.

THE TWO DAYS' SERVICE. PLANS AND PROGRESS. Although the opening ceremonies in connection with the Main Trunk , line will not comuienco till Tuesday, November 3, when a special night' train will leave for Makatote, ; after a dinner, to bo held 1 in Wellington, tho regular servico will commenco on Monday, November 2. On that' dato tho mail train, leaving Wellington at,7.15 p.m. for Marton, will, go on from there to .Ohakune, which, will bo the stopping place for the "through" 1 servico for tho night. Tho train will leave Ohakune at 6 a.m. next clay, reaching Auckland tho same evening. On tlio return journoy, Taumarunui will bo the stopping place for the night, and Wellington will be.reached ■ at ,7.20 p.m..; . With- tho present service there aro two night..stopping places on each trip—Taihape and,Taumarunui. selection of Ohakune for, ill# now stopping place, on the northern trip is causing much dissatisfaction at Taihape,' and .representations have been made that there is much better 'accommodation there.for. travellers than Ohakune can boast. Ohiikune. however, has .been putting up new boardinglious'es and preparing to justify its new, importance, and as this is held to bo tho most suitable.stopping place for the serv vice, the protest's' of Taihape are not likely to avail. Obakuno's accommodation may not bo pitlatial, but as "soon as the-express service begins, difficulties- of this sort will disappear, ior no night stopping place.,will be required., .Uoreoyor, it:is stated:.that Taihape's accommodation has been overtaxed for sorao timo past. It might seem venturesome for Oliai iuno to erect new boardinghouscs in view of an influx .which''will-only last for a few wcoks at most,, but it . is said that tho growing demands on .the township,! as the centre of a largo sawmilling district, aro sufficient to justify", the additions. . Tbo train .which will leave late on Tuesday night,Vill,bo a.special invitation, train. It seems rather, curious that! the opening ceremonies should :tak6 place after the public have commenced to use tho line, but it is stated that the Gisbornc railway was "opened" two-or three times—once by tho Governor and. once by the! Hon. J. Carroll, at least— and/.'stations and other buildings are often formally opened, after they have becn r some timo. iii use/ It is not yet known when the express service between Wellington and Auckland will be ,commcnced. The line is not yet safe for night travelling, which would bo necessary with the express servico, but every day now sees a; difference, and it'is thought that by tho end of December everything should bo fairly right. ■ Even then much of the track ! will-bo very soft for a season, and it is un.fortunate that tho timo'when tho lino will "bo} ripe for_ tho express service will bo tho time of holidays and excursion rushes, when the -.Department will find most inconvenience in inaugurating the service. Tlio Railway Department will tako over from ; the Public Works Department another section ,of the: lino, froni Taumarunui to. Erua, a distance of 36 miles, probably on November 1. This will leave 31 miles of lino • still-under tho control of tho Public Works . Department. .