INCONVENIENT RAILWAY SERVICES.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 693, 18 December 1909, Page 4

INCONVENIENT RAILWAY SERVICES.

We are amongst those : who would be very pleased to assist the Minister for Railways in his endeavour to mako the railways of the Dominion pay their way.; There is urgent call for economy,' especially in the-South Island, and there is little doubt that the present execssivo cost of ■ working can bo , materially '; reduced. But while the , cutting down of train , _ services may accomplish something in this direction, there is" a risk that in pursuing this'course travelling may be made so inconvenient qb to seriously interfere with the passenger traffic, and play havoc with the revenue from tin?, source.. The outcry which occurred when the recent alterations in ' the railway running in this district came into operation should have served to warn- Mn. Millar, and. the fact that that outcry., grows in,:volume must/- emphasise- the warning. It,is difficult follow /the objects: which; induced many of the recent inconvenient alterations in thisdis, trict's train services. It has been'- assorted' that tho alterations were, made to fit _in with the Main Trunk service'/ A primary howevefj in ordinary railway "administration is the development of traffic, which is mainly attained by studying/the public convenience. .If we still relied upon our stage coaches, possibly not a quarter of the present railway passengers would travel.' ; The intercourse between towns and, between , town and icountry, would markedly decline, since people would again turn to correspondence over Many matters which they now'accomplish by a; railway visit. This is 'markedly so. in. what, may- be called extended[suburban travel, ■; where' a'visit is; possible with return on the same day, arid yet little: consideration, appears to have been paid;to this aspect |of things .'in- the'- recent changes., If any-, one, for instance, wished now to pay a visit, say,'_to, Palmerston. North or lie-. yond, his time for business has been cut short, since he can only reach .that town at 12.58 p.m., in placeyof 1L45, a.m., .as had been the hour, for long years. Again, a passenger from.Masterfon hasnqw.only 3 hour's', and .41 minutes' in town,: where he used to have 4 hours and 27 minutes. Formerly a visitor from Wellington to Napier could get to his destination via the Wairarapa;at 6.50 p.m. Now: by the I same route 1 he only gets thero at 8.43, andif. he; waits, to use /.the shorter route: byway of Palmerston, ho;on]y gets there at 9.20' p.m. These are few examples of the recent and.'.seemingly .capricious, changes. ,The/ common: assumption is that tho■:•, local, 'interests ■;of. this district I have been sacrificed to suit the Auckland express; but this,was probably not so; in so far, at '•'; least; as the northwardbound train is concerned.' This, leaving at 12.16, "fits in admirably. Inconvenience, however, ■ does arise in respect to. the south-.train, leaving Auckland: at> g.ie p.m;,;and in the,rearrangement extending from Palmerston,. which may have caused the, delay, of the , Napier.'train mentioned. It.,would for. soveral reasons be.a great advantage if this train, was dispatched from Auckland at, say, 7.30 p.m..; This could,'.'C(iuse,','npt incpliyenienoe. in Auck&Hj,iffltt.%- feM,Muld,reac>.WcL nngton at,2.2p ip.m.;.iiwpi|ld,De"a.'considerable advantage .to through ' passengoTS.' Our English tiiails on: Mondays ancT the local mail by: every train could : be sorted and dispatched' early: in the ' afternoon, and Friday's mail ;via Sydney dispatched the .'houj earlier which the steamship owners so urgently Beck. Trains from New Plymouth and : Napier could then be:dispatched at an, interval before .Sa'.jn , ., and'these, stopping at'alternate intermediate stations, would reach Palmerston'by 11 t0>11.20, the Napier train taking oh Pawko's Bay and Wairarapa passengers awaiting; at Palmerston' from the, accelerated .Auckland ; train. . The Napior train;would then reach its destination by :'K15..,p.m,; while the New Plymouth train .would pick upvthe passengers for Wangan'ui and New Plymouth at : Marton, and ■: reach its destination at 7.30. p.m., as '.sought, at 'the ; Taranaki metropolis.. With so : many ; ',■ advantages possible:by this earlier arrival of the' expross from Auckland, it is very strange ihat it: is delayed.: We would ' suggest this proposal for .the Minister's consideration;. If adopted, it would certainly solve-many, of the difficulties which 1 are now causing; such trouble throughout all the southern portion ; of tho North Island; '■■;•'.';:' ■■■'■.'■■'■.'. '■/ ; ■''■■■;;, ■';:■;; V-.- ■