SUBURBAN TRAINS

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 137, 5 March 1919, Page 4

SUBURBAN TRAINS

NO RESUMPTION OF WEEK-END •EXCURSIONS.

There is no immediate prospect of tho Railway Department resuming the running of Sunday trains on suburban Jines or giving the pre-war week-end concession tickets again. Replying to a letter from Mr. W. H. Field, M.P., the Minister points nut that the Department is still very short of men, practically no fit men having returned from the front yet to resume their positions in the railway service iii his reply the Minister says:— "In regard to the reinstatement .of Sunday trains, the Department is JjmUns it increasingly difficult, with the limited staff at its disposal, to carry on we business offering on week days, and it could not reasonably call upon the 6if.tr to work on Sundays, haying in mind tho arduous nature of their work on the other six daw and the necessity for having a rest day. "With respect to the question of weekend tickets, I would'point out tiiat the inauguration of any concession fares which would have the effect of concentrating traffic which the Department.is at present receiving distributed over the whole week, would increase the difficulties which the Denurtment is.already experiencing in dealing with tho business that is offering, and an increase in the week-end business-winch is already the time at which traffic is heaviest-before the return of the railwaymen from active service, would add to the Departments embarrassment and miptht prejudicially affect the handline of shipping and other imnortant perishable goods traffic. "Further, the granting of week-end tickets would inevitably bring about the reinstatement of the other concession fares which are at present inoperative. "I resret, therefore, that tho request cannot be complied with at the present time, but the question of a general extension of the week-end, travelling facilities will be considered as soon as a sufficient number of men on active service return to their civil occupation.