The Globe. THURSDAY, MAY 17, 1877.

Globe, Volume VIII, Issue 903, 17 May 1877, Page 2

The Globe. THURSDAY, MAY 17, 1877.

Now that the Kail way Station is approaching completion it appears to us to be the proper time to suggest certain improvements in the traffic arrangements. VV e more especially refer to the length of time which now elapses between the trains to Lyttelton from Christchurch and vice versa. Any person having business in either town, instead of being able to despatch it and return, say in a couple or three hours, has, under present circumstances, to waste quite half a day if not more. The traffic when the present time table was compiled was perhaps not sufficient to warrant more trains per diem than are now run. But since then a wonderful increase in the railway traffic has taken place. The passenger returns issued month after mouth show this. Under these circumstances one would have expected to have seen a corresponding exertion on the part of the Grovernment to afford increased facilities and conveniences to the travelling public; but this has not been so. We still have the regulation two hours elapsing between the departure of the trains for Lyttelton, though there is no earthly reason why they should not leave every hour. The double line now affords increased opportunity to work the extra number of trains, and, when the new station is completed, there will be no difficulty as far as despatch and arrival in the station yard.arc concerned, it may be urged, in opposition to the proposed increase of trains, that it will not pay. Our answer to this is, that the question of revenue should not enter into the consideration at all. No long as the lines pay a fair rate of interest on their cost of construction, we have no right to look for more. The public convenience is the first consideration —not how much revenue can be screwed out of working the lines. But, even were it not so, wo contend that more trains per day would pay well, on the Lyttelton line, Ease and facility of travelling induce travellers. Persons who now go to Lyttelton on business only when positively compelled would, if the journey could bo done in a couple of hours, go three or four times per week. The number travelling would thus be much greater, and the aggregate return at the end of the month proportionately larger. 'We hope the Grovernment will take the subject into their consideration with a view of seeing how far what is at present a great inconvenience can be remedied.