THE HUTT RAILWAY.

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 1920, 1 December 1913, Page 7

THE HUTT RAILWAY.

BETTER SERVICE WANTED. DEPUTATION TO HON. W. H. HEftRIES. Various improvements in tho suburban railway ucrvicc between Wellingtoil and Upper Hutt wcro asked for by a deputation representing tho Hutt Valley Kail way League, which interviewed tlio ilon. W. H. Homes (Minister of Rjiilivays) on Saturday morning. In the first place, tho deputation emphasised tho necessity for a night train from Upper Hutt to Wellington. It v/as submitted that owing to tho discontinuance of tho £UQ p.m. train from Upper lhitt on Mondays and Wednesdays the last train from tho upper end of tho valley was tlio G. 40 p.m. (tho milk train). Tho deputation requested that the goods trAin which leaves for tho'citj' at 8.30 p.m. should have a passenger carriage attached. Another point made was this: Between 6.14 p.m. and 10.35 p.m. there aro no trains leaving town for beyond Lower I-luts. As a result, anyone coining down tho Manawatu lino bound for any station north of 1 Lower Hutt has to leave by the train duo to depart from Paekakariki at 10.33 in tho morning— otherwise they aro detained in town waiting for tlio 10.35 p.m. train from Lambtou for tho 1 upper portion of 'tho valley. As a matter of fact, a pirsou can leave Pnlmeiston North at 11.48 a.m. and get to 1 Upper Hutt at 0.30 p.m., via tlio'''Rimutakn,' whereas if a person reaches Paekakariki after 10.33 a.m. ho cannot 'roach Upper Hutt until 11.39 p.m. Again, it was pointed out, a goods train could bo utilised with advantage. It was suggested that goods consigned to Silverstream should bo looked up either in'a portion of tho present •shelter shed, or in an addition thereto, and delivered to consignees by tlio "tablet" porter in charge. This, it was stated, would prevent loss of good 3 such as lias been frequent in tho past, and be of great eonvenionco to residents of this,, locality. The liearest gt.ods shpds.were at Lower Hutt and V'UpporiHutt, some nine and four miles respectively distant from Silvcrstream. Complaint was also mado of tho j almost .continual late running of tho ] last train from. Upper I-lutt to Lambton. Tlio league was in a position to submit 'figures, but would not do so, in tho Uiopo that the request for a better .regulated service would bo acceded to: , A request wa3 also mado that tho 10.35 p.m. train- from tlio city should run at 11.30 p.m. on Wednesdays; also that lavatory accommodation be provided on ;all trains from Upper Hutt. It was -stated that partial effect had been givonito the requests of tho league for the elimination of delays at Lower Hutt in inward and . outward traffic, hut that tliero was stiH room for- further improvement,, especially in tho expediting of tho business peoplo's train leaving Upper Hutt at 7.50 a.m. Deputationists said that the request was a long-standing one,. and contended that, as no expense was entailed, tho mat,tor should bo immediately remedied. All that was wanted was a littlo more critical; attention to train-dis-pateliing at Lower Hutt. The Minister promised to givo full consideration to all tho questions raised.