SUBURBAN RAILWAYS

Evening Star, Issue 19661, 14 September 1927, Page 13

SUBURBAN RAILWAYS

PETROL IMS SUGGESTED lu the course of an, address at the annua! meeting of tho Otago Kxpansiou League hist evening Air 0. dFrrington brought up the subject ol a more efficient and more frequent suburban railway service. He stated that the question of transit had undergone marvellous changes during the last few decades, hut iho railway service was the same now as it was fifty years ago. This state of affairs must change; they would have to move with the tunes. Ho wished to see the installation of an electric train service to Port Chalmers and Mosgicl. A trainloaded locomotive could not run profitably unless the train was full; therefore tho trains did not run frequently enough these clays. Many people wished to travel up till a.s lalo as .11 p.m., but apparently the Railway Department did not want to run trains when they were not full. Something more mobile was urgently wanted, and, with the advent of cheap electricity, this should not be hard to introduce, although there would bo one difficulty in the way of initial cost. He considered that a solution of the problem would come in the form of a. direct petrol carriage ol the type used on Ihe Continent. Travelling at an average speed of thirty-live miles an hour, and, il necessary, drawing trailers, it would soon turn an unprofitable lino into a profitable one. Moreover, it would do away with tho necessity lor long .stations, and would nut require so many men to work it. Krequent stops could ho made to pick up passengers. The public would never he satisfied with the present conditions. Tho Covermnent should go in lor these, trains on district. and suburban linos. Mr 1,1. B. West., the district traffic manager ol the Railway Department, stated that tho department eamo in for a good deal of criticism; some of it was deserved and some was not. The development of rhe department had boon hampered by the increased number of subsidies. Ono electrical car. used on the Little River line, had proved very expensive. There was no doubt, however, that if tho ideal petrol car came along flic department, would make inquiries into tho matter. It certainly would bo found very useful on suburban and branch lines.