A LAGGING EXPRESS.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1828, 14 August 1913, Page 5

A LAGGING EXPRESS.

WELLINGTON-NAPIER SERVICE,

According to the member for Napier (Mr. J. V. Brown), the late Government, when it was asked to improve the, tram sen-ice between Wellington and Napier, responded by making the 3 our ¥y f J°S minutes longer. Also, he was >ri P;4 that a new and improved engine had been placed upoll tho route, witlr the result that it had to stop every now and then to keep within its time-table. The question was raised by Mr. .Hunter, member for Waipawa, who asked the Minister for Railways, in tho House of Representatives yesterday, whether he would instruct the new General Manager of Railways to consider, the. question of providing an improved time-table for the Wellington-Napier express, lhe Minister stated that the improvement of the train services on all lines would be gono carefully into, with a tew to seeing what improvements (if any) could be made. "A great many difficulties had, however, to bs contended with ■where the speeding-up of trains is concerned," the Minister added. Through passengers, who as a rule form but a fractional part of the travelling. public, naturally desire to complete their journey in tho shortest possible time. On the other hand, settlers along the route served by the railway make insistent demands to have the through- trains serve tho various stations along the route. Frequent stops and fast-running are incompatible, aiul it has frequently been pointed out in connection with the \\cl-fington-Napier train service that, on tho one hand, the Department is assailed with demands for faster running,, and, on the other, for increased stops. Lach 6cction of thq community considers its I particular desire the most. important, and passengers for intermediate stations who lia,ve to leave the express trains and wait for mixed trains to take them to their destinations complain loudly of the inconvenience they are thus put to. I have quite recently dealt with urgent requests for additional stopping-places for express trains on tho Napier line, and then pointed out the bad effect the increasing of 'the number of stopping-places had on the journey-times of trains. Tho representations made will, however, receive consideration when the time-table is being re-cast. . Commenting upon this reply, Mr. Hunter agreed with the member for Napier that the service had been "speeded up" by' making the journey forty minutes longer. Ho urged the Minister to further consider tho question. A great injustice was being done to a largo and important district. He did not suggest that small stations should be cut out, but many vexatious delays might be reduced.