GERMAN RAILWAYS IN WAR TIME

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 114, 31 January 1918, Page 6

GERMAN RAILWAYS IN WAR TIME

RESTRICTIONS ON TRAVELLING HEAVY INCREASE IN GOODS TRAFFIC The manner in which railway travelling in Germany has been restricted owing te military exigencies is i his"trated by the following article which recently 'appeared in the "Frankfurter Zeitung":— , . ... "Hitherto the traffic of civilians on German railways has already been restricted to about 51 per cent, of the mileage of peace traffic. Owing to tho extensive activity in the occupied _zones -on September 1 there wore loo.wU railway trucks in Belgium, Poland, Courla'nd, ttumania, ana Serbia—to the large increase in the armaments at home, and to increased wear and tear, further restrictions have become necessary, in order to make it possible to maintain the efficiency of the railways for military objects. , "The number of railway trucks, which in July, 1014, was about 622,000, has been increased by about 91,000, and there are now 4153 more, locomotives. But their requisition lias been still greater. Transport of grain can no longer take place via tho Baltic and North Sea up the Rhine, but is carried on bv the railways straight across Germany. "While up to the war on an average t.4.2. million of potatoes were transported annually, in J9IG t.6.5. million were forwarded. As against the previous in August ot this rear 43,000 trucks, and m September '65,000 were , used for carrying potatoes. How greatly the goods traffic has -rrown is shown bv the fact that the increased takings }n September as against the sani" month last year amounted to 10.71 per cent. Publio Travelling curtailed. "Since then anv reduction of goods traffic is impossible, and since saving by improved regulations of traffic, can no more be increased to any considerable extent, while the demand for goods transport is continuously growing, the German railway administration hud themselves compelled to impose further resorptions an passenger trains. Alladmonition? as to voluntary limitations of passenger traffic have hitherto remained fruitless. Last year an appeal n-as made ibei'ore Clnfetmas to the publio to curtail travelling. The result was that fifty per cent., more railway tickets were sold than in the previous year. During the last.few months, too, passenger traffic has continuously grown. An increase of 33 per cent, in the takings proves this, and the total receipts from passenger traffic have reached the same level as in the peaco ■year, 1913. With tho idea of facilitating goods traffic and influenced by the desire to save coal, rolling stock, and, above all. personnel, a considerable curtailment'of fast and express trains is to be Drought into force. A number of express trains are to he withdrawn altogether, while others are to be reduced in'length. But as to the most important means.of checking the traffic, an increase or fares by about 100 pelcent, is to come into force. These supplementary charges are to hold good for all classes. They are to be merely a temporary measure, as are the curtailments of fast and express trams. "Since nearly 70 per ce-.jt. of the space in fast trains is occupied by soldiers, the military authorities have determined, in view of the larga autumn traffic, to curtail furloughs. Before adopting tho plan plan of increasing the fares, tho. railway administration discussed the introduction of travelling permits, hut for pracitcnl reasons this method was found unfeasible. The Prussian railway administration alone issues some 1£ million railway tickets a day. To examine all tickets 'issued, with a view to establishing their necessity, would have led to injiictice. and would have, necessitated tlie employment of a large staff. Schedule Time. - "Measures have hoen taken also with a. view to obtaining a punctual service. For example, at individual stations, where passenger trains are continuously overcrowded, the sale of tickets is to be limited to the number of persons which the train for which they are issued can hold. Luggage is to be reduced iu quantity, by introducing a, maximum weight. One piece of luggage is not to weigh more than kg. 50, while the whole luggage of anv person may not exceed this weight. This measure is chiefly aimed at checkmating the food hogs, and preventing the strength of women being overtaxed when" unloading IngKage. In future when connecting trains are late trains will not wait for the luggage to be unloaded, to avoid becoming late themselves. Finallv, the traffic is to bo reduced on Sundays. Tho object of this measure is not only economy in coal, but the release of the staff. Negotiations are proceeding between the German railway administration as to whether it is 'possible to check Sunday travelling by charaing extra fares, but in this ease regard would bo paid to those large towns whose inhabitants arc unablo to obtain fresh air on Sundays, eveeot bv making use of the railways. Fiuallv, heating in the trains is to be reduced to the extent that tho degrees of heat >n the comnartment will be from 1 otn>, 0.. instead of 12 to 15 C, as obtaining hitherto, while trains running short journeys only will not be heated.