EXPRESS TRAINS

Evening Post, Volume CXV, Issue 73, 28 March 1933, Page 6

EXPRESS TRAINS

p (To tha Editor.) <• _ Sir,—The iteration of the departure fane, of the o Wellington ; to Auckland express from 2.pm. to 3 p.m., which the Railway iDepartment is contemplating, is f I maJ ter i ,whlch. sh°uH ,'be weighed lareluijy by those members of the .public who desire to get full value for the, money expended in railway fares to Auckland The present time of departure of the Wellington to Auckland express trains- is 2 p.m. and 0 7.15 ; p.m., which arrive" in Auckland at 6.38 a.m. and' 9.40 a jau • respectively. Are the public as a whole quite satisfied with the above-mentioned trains? I'venture to predict that if a referendum was taken on the Question the majority of the public would.- express themselves as dissatisfied with the night train schedule. Is the time not opportune for eliminating the 2 p.m. express and replacing it -with a daylight train. There would then be two trains—a daylight express departing Wellington at 8 a.m. and arriving Auckland 11 p.m. The departure of the night express could perhaps with advantage be altered from 7.15 p.m. to 5.15 p.m. This train would then arrive in Auckland at 7.40 a.ni.

The advantages of the inauguration of a daylight Limited are not to be despised. Passengers and mails from the South Island could upon arrival of the Lyttelton ferry steamer be dispatched without delay by the daylight Limited. They would therefore reach their destination six hours earlier than at present. Loss of sleep would be avoided, as the train would arrive in Auckland at 11 p.m. A daylight journey to Auckland by slow train occupies! 22 travelling hours, necessitating acquiring accommodation overnight at two towns en route. This inconvenience could be eliminated by running the daylight Limited. Lastly, the Tourist Department would gain an asset by reason of* the fact that the daylight Limited would pass through the major portion of the Main Trunk scenery in daylight.—l am,' etc.,

CONUNDRUM.