NAPIER-GISBORNE RAILWAY

Dominion, Volume 35, Issue 290, 5 September 1942, Page 4

NAPIER-GISBORNE RAILWAY

Passenger Service

FIRST TRAIN RUNS ON MONDAY

Dominion Special Service.

NAPIER,.Sept. 4. The Minister of Railways, Mr. Semple, is to be on the Gisborne railway station when the first passenger train leaves for Napier on Monday morning. He will be accompanied by the General Manager of Railways, Mr. E. Casey. This will not be the official opening function of the railway. That is not to be held till the line is handed over by the Public Works Department to the Railway Department a few months hence. Monday’s gathering will be a purely informal ceremony to send the first passenger train on its way in the presence of tho Minister of Railways. One of the spectators at Monday morning’s function will be Mr. Thomas Lambert, an old Wairoa journalist, who was connected with the very early days of agitation for the railway. Mr. Lambert had been promised a place of honour at any gathering Jheld to celebrate the running of the first train. Accordingly a special invitation had been Issued to him to be present In Gisborne on Monday. In the meantime the goods service is running satisfactorily. This week nearly 1000 cattle are to be taken from Matawhero station to destinations in Hawke’s Bay, Walrarapa, Manawatu, Wanganui and Waipukurau. New Timetable. From Monday, September 7, a new train passenger service to Gisborne will operate. Travellers from the north will leave Gisborne at 10.5 a.m., arriving at Napier at 3.40 p.m., enabling passengers to make connexion with the 4.24 p.m. train to Palmerston North. ■ Those travelling to Gisborne will go by a train connecting with the Wellington-Napier express, due to arrive at Napier at 4.57 p.m. Also on and after Monday the Napier-Hastings bus service will not operate after 6.15 p.m. on week days, excepting Friday, when a bus will leave Napier at 9.15 p.m. On Sundays the bus service will operate only after 4 p.m. Train services will be extended and trains will make return journeys between Napier and Hastings on Sundays. On nights other than Sundays train services will enable visits to be paid to either town.