TRAINS TO CAMPS

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2600, 23 October 1915, Page 6

TRAINS TO CAMPS

0 COMPLAINTS ABOUT SLOWNESS DEPARTMENTAL STATEMENT Since the establishment of the training camps at Trontham, May Morn, und Tauherinikau, tho section ef railway serving thoin has become an exceedingly busy one. Soldiers on leave visiting Wellington, and relatives and friends of the soldiers who go to the camps to suo them, have increased the passenger traffic in the ordinary trains, while numbers of troop trains are also run to carry bodies of soldiers to and fro. Thes« trains very often consist of closed-in vans, fitted with windows and moveable seats. Apart from these specials, however, tlio increaso in passengers on tlio ordinary trains is considered by many of the travellers to warrant more frequent, or at least, faster services, and the cutting-out of tlio waits at Lower Hutt and Upper Hutt, which occur in tho running of som.e of tho trains.

Trains Available. Apart from the Wairarapa mail train, which leaves_ Lambton Station at 10 minutes to eight in the morning, tho best morning train for visitors to Tren'tliam camp is the one leaving Lambton at 9.4 a.m. It covers the 19 mile journey in 5G minutes, including fivo minutes' delay at Lower Hutt, w'hilo somo empty carriages aro detached. The next train is tho 9.55. This is one of the trains which call forth execrations, although, since it is a mixed train, it is only to be expected that it may shunt at- any way station. Tho reason of its popularity with camp visitors is that it at Trentham.about half an hour before noon, at which time the soldiers are dismissed from drill for an hour, and are free to talk to visitors. It is also the only train during tho dav'by which May Mora may bo reached from Wellington, and it reaches that camp about noon. After the 9.55, there is no train for stations beyond Lower Hutt till the 1.20 p.m. This train and the 2.10 are fairly fast, accomplishing tho journey in about an hour. Travellers by these later trains, however, unless they spend a very brief time in tho camp, cannot get a train back from Trentham until 4.45, reaching the City at a quarter to six o'clock. It is in the Tetnm portion of the time-table that the waits occur, of which coranlaints have been made.

Trains to Town. If the visitor to Trentham goes out by the 9.4 train in tho morning, he has a reasonable time in which to see his friends in camp, and catch a train, leaving Trentham at 1 o'clock, and reaching town at 2' After the 1 o'clock train, there is no other, except on Saturdays, until 3.15. Even so, this would, servo well enough, but for its erratic running and the fact that it nearly always just misses connection with a train leaving Lower Hutt for Wellington at 3.40 p.m., the result being that passengers have to cool their lieels at .Lower Hutt until •1.30 p.m. This train is also a mixed' one, from Woodville, and provides the only means for visitors to May Morn Camp to return to town. On Saturdays the train leaves Trentham at 3 o'clock, connects with tho suburban train at. Lower Hutt, and passengers reach Wellington at 4 o'clock. Travellers express the opinion that no doubt, before tho camps woro established,- this slow running during tho week inconvenienced fow people, while on Saturdays the faster service satisfactorily dealt with the increased traffic. Tin's mixed train only goes as far as Potone, whero it is broken up.

The fact has been commented on that on week days the bulk of the passengers by the 4.30 p.m. Lower Hutt are the through passengers from this train, though many workers are picked up at tho stations en route to town._ Soldiers and visitors ask why the train cannot bo either spoeded-up a little, so as to catch tho 3.40 at Lower Hutt, or hold back so as to avoid the wait of nearly three-quarters of an hour at that station. Mr. M'Villy's Views. On referring tho above complaints to the Assistant General Manager of tho Railways, Mr. R. W. M'Viliy, lio said that the present services as far as the Upper Hutt were considered to be quite auequato for all the requirements of Trentham. Tho chief increaso in the passenger traffic on that section was due to the travelling of soldiers between the camp and Wellington, and not to an extraordinary number, of people journeying out to visit tlie camp. In normal times, no doubt, if a permanent camp or other inducement to cause peoplo to travel were established, something would doubtless havo been done to improve tho train services. But these were times of war, and the railways had to provide the sinews of war as well as other departments. The trains were there, and jf they were slow they were not unduly so. Tlie 9.55 a.m. from Wellington and the 3.11 p.m. from Upper Hutt were long-dis-tance mixed trains, which might require a lot of time to shunt at stations, or might run through without having to do so, but tliey had to havo full time allowed in case they had to shunt. On Saturdays tho 3.11 was relieved of much of its loading at Upper Hutt, so as to provido a fast through soi'vice for tho many people who wished to visit Wellington. The May Morn Service. Concerning the service to May Morn, Mr. M'Viliy said that the establishment of tho camp there had created a new situation so far as_ tho railway was concerned. ■ On the existing time-table the trains mentioned were the only ones which stopped there during tho day suitable for visitors to the camp. But tho question of improving the service to May Morn was being considered, and if it was found that the traffic warranted it, a better service would be provided. Tlie investigations would occupy ten days or a- fortnight. At the end of that time some change might be decidcd upon.