SUBURBAN TRAINS

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2389, 19 February 1915, Page 3

SUBURBAN TRAINS

A DEPUTATION FROM MELLING.

Improved railway facilities at Milling were asked for by a big deputation of residents in the locality which waited on the Minister of Railways (tho Hon. ff. H. Herries)' yesterday afternoon. through their chief spokesman (Mr. J,.J. Reich) they asked for the duplication of the line to Melling, which was three-fourths completed last . year; Failing this th'ey'asked that the service be partly- extended on the present line, that a goods siding bo provided, and that a larger waiting shed' be erected and a longer platform 'constructed. They asked also for numerous detailed alterations in the train services. It was urged that the population of the district and the passenger traffic coming from it was sufficient to warrant the expenditure involved."'Tho improved services amounted practically to the continuation of the Wellington-Lower Hutt suburban service to Melling. At present the residents of Melling had to go to Lower Hutt: and catch all except a few .of the trains, and the only communication was a . motor-bus service, which did not run after 5.30 p.m. Generally it was contended that the Hutt line was not treated as well as the Manawatu line in the matter of suburban trains. ' . >_ . " Tho Minister said the railways must be run in a business way, and. any business propositions put before the Min' ister or the' Department would be care- 1 fully considered. With regard to the Request for increased train services he could not answer as to what would or could be done, because the running of trains on a, single line had to be carefully considered by experts. If the line were duplicated many of tho difficulties would be removed. He could not hold out any hope about stopping the mail trains. The policy of the Department had been to try to speed up the mail trains, and to look upon them as a means of comm'iraication between the back-blocks and the. City. To- tho request for the extension of the suburban service, he would give that.consideration which the large deputation compelled him to think was its due. With regard to the_ laying down of a siding and the building of a new station, he would get an estimate prepared of the and the needs of the localand if the accommodation now available was below that of similar places, then as soon as money was available they would endeavour to provide accommodation sufficient for the needs of the district. If the goods were offering the siding would be laid. Replying to another request that the name of the station should be changed to "Central Hutt" or some other suitable designation, he said that this, was a matter that the people would be allowed to decide. If there was any general desire to have a new name the name' would bo altered. He assured the deputation that their requests would have careful consideration.