RAILWAY AFFAIRS.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1798, 10 July 1913, Page 6

RAILWAY AFFAIRS.

TRAVELLERS' DISCOMFORTS,

1 ON MANAWATU LINE.

The grievances of railway travellers on the Manawatu lino were ventilated by a deputation introduced by Mr. D. Buick, which waited upon tho Minister for Railways, (the Hon. AV. H. Hcrries) yesterday.

The deputation presented a petition, through Mr. J. Robertson, M.P., signed by oyer 601) people, including tho mayors of "Wellington and tho leading provincial towns along tho line, asking in effect that all trains running along tho Manawatu lino should berth at Lambton instead of Thorndou. In tho alternative the petitioners and the deputation asked that certain alterations bo made at Thorhdon to expedite passenger and goods traffic from Thorndon. Tho various speakers pointed out that the present tramway service did not fit in as closely as it might with tho running „of tho trains. They asked for facilities for passengers to book right through to Lyttelton.

Another complaint was that suburban passenger* to Paekakariki and Johnsonyille by the 1.15 Manawatu train .wero in the habit of crowding into tho other carriages in preferenco to the coaches, especially reserved for them, The result was that country passengers had to take the suburban carriages, and when the cars were dropped otf at their stations of destination country people in them were compelled to seek other carriages and move their luggage. They asked that tho guards of the trains should see that passengers for these stations should travel in the carriages set apart for them. . Mr, W. A. Veitch, M.P., suggested that when the new. station was built provision shpuld bo made for uninterrupted access from tho station to the wharf, so that trains might be run down on to tho wharf, as at Lyttelton. The Minister, in reply, said that to grant the concession asked for—the running of Manawatu trains to Lambton Station—would entail eul&rging and overhauling the yard at Lambton, and the spending of so much money on it that it would bo almost equivalent to the cost of a new station. It would be impossible for tile Government to find money for this work at present. .Ho mentioned that there were important works waiting to be done at other railway centresbeskles Wellington, and ho llioped to bring down one big Bill next year authorising him to obtain a loan to enable all theso undertakings to bo tackled. It would bo impossible to go! on to the London market for money this year; it .might bo possible next year. He quite admitted - tho forco of the deputation's argument, and as soon as ho could make financial arrangements he intended to build the new station in Bunny Street, into which all trains coming to Wellington would Tun. On all the otlier matters mentioned he promised to have inquiries made, but ho pointed out that in regard to the carriage of passengers from the station to tho wharf tnero were two other bodies to be consulted, the Harbour Board and the City Council,