NEW RAILWAY TIME-TABLE

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 634, 11 October 1909, Page 8

NEW RAILWAY TIME-TABLE

'.. . ' .IMPORTANT,CHANGES.. ■; '\/ A WELLINGTON-MANAWATU-NAPIEE.; ■~. 'V, : • .', .. EXPRESS. '~:■■:/. ; ' ! ;,';. . It has been decided'.that; the, new-railway train-time-table service is not to -.come into Operation until December 1. It was at.hrst thought that-the change .mould,be on November 1 (writes our travelling correspondent), but with the pressure of-work imposed, on the government PrinHng 'Department during the parliamentary session, and the extra time-requireU in tho compiling of a partially now .time-table, thb authorities have deemed it advisable to defer the propc««l amendments for another month'. '-It is-'.understood that the .changes will be of a rather'extensive nature, and \yill be'fully in accord with the expressed; intention of the Minister for Railways ,to .regulate the services : according to their . profit-returning capacity. ■ . . .'■ ' ... '. The Rimutaka, with its notorious incline and evil' smelling tunnels, is responsible for the fact that the Wellington-Napier ,exprcs6 service is to be diverted from tho Wairarapa,..and,from December , 1 v;ill go through: the .Manawatu Gorge. The trains will pass at Ashhurst. The service from Napier, will be considerably accelerated by tho change, tho train leaving the northern, town about, 7.30 a.m.,'arid.'arriving in Wellington at 4.30 p.m. The AucklandWellington express, is to arrive, in' Wellington at 3.30 pini:, one hour.earlier than at;prcseht. The Wellington-Napier train will leave Wol-, lington ,about 7.30 a.m., .and> will- arrive; in Napier at 6 p.m. Dining-cars will .be included ia the. service. . The 4.45 a.m. slow ■. passenger.goods train (Wcllington-Waipukurau) will disappear; also the 6.30 a.m. . train ■ (MastertonWaipukuraii). To replace them a train will be run leaving Cross' Creek at 7 a.m.; connecting at Woodville with tho Wellisgton-Natiicr express, and at Palmerston North with the Wel-lington-Auckland . express. The .5.10 p.ni. 'Palmerston,-North-Masterton , train will run on to Cross Crs'k,. arriving there at 11 p.m. .The extension of this service is-the result of continued . agitation on the;part of members of Parliament and local bodies representing the Wairarapa and Jfanawatu^districts. It , means that a passenger may come right through from Auckland-to Feathereton in tho one 24 hours, while residents' from the Lower Valley will .be able to accomplish' a daily.Teiurn journey. to Palmerston-North. ■ ' : , ' '■'.;

The further-importance of-Palmerston North as a central sub-terminus is;.evidenced by: the ofa daily service,.the'train leavjnj; Palmerston-North for'Nanier at.T'a.m." A train' will continue ■ to ,leave Wellington. ,for the Wairarapa at 8.20 a.m., nut will , not arrive in Napier until 10 p.m. Tho, -ovonhiß train from the Wairarapa will'not, arrive in Wellington untilß.3o. The second.daily services behxeen Auckland and Wellington will also not come into operation until December .1. \Although they may bo a , considerable ■ convenienco to travellers, the railway authorities are not of the opinion'that they will be: wholly payable concerns, on account of the fact that the present .service'.'is.sufficient. to. absorb the required-passenger, .traffic. ". ■ ... ." .. Thore will be no material change in the, running of tho service through to. New Plymouth, except, that passengers will; be enabled to proceed in one- day from Napier, to the Taranati town—a journey which at. present OCcupics'one day, eight hours, and twenty minutes'. ': ■ ' ' , ■■■'■' ■'■ ..' ,-.-,'.

The forthcoming "changes' indicate the swing of railway traffic to,the Manawatti, thisboihg owiiiE mainly to its central position; 1 Outside of.-'tho • live sheep' traffic,' .65 pW ' cent, of the Wellington-Napiar-New. rfymoutli-Auok-land traffic Comes from the area olear of the Woi-lington-Ekctah'unn section. It will," of'course be seen that the Rimutaka'Banges aroaserinus bar'to'tho coiuniorcial progress of both Wellington tni tho Wairarapa,