The New Railway Station

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Issue 135, 24 June 1937, Page 7

The New Railway Station

OL1)

RESIDENT

Sir,— It was refreshing te learn that the retailers' meeting yesterday reveai@d anything but a unSxlimoUS feelifig towards shifting the Eaiiway gtation, We wili ail admit that a new station is requifed, but as ciose as gossibie to the present site, and i am oue of these UdVocates. To fthift the statidfl to Toiieffladhe l'oad would be au appaliing bluiider, and 1 thlBk when the r&iiway experts view the loctlity the opiniea will of> borne ©ut There is only ene great advantage to be garned by geiag to ToJiemaene road, and that is that there would be* come poseibiy three main*street build* ing sitess The disadvantagos wouid be innumerable, foremast oi- whieh is the iaet that al- the business hrms are firffiiy estsbiished in a ring arouad the presmt station, wh'ile there are quite numbor with private sidings. Cartage to and from th§ present site is quick and cheap. Visitors staying at hotels can conveniently catdh ihe trains without incurring t&Xi fees.- AU the other Government buildings are Situated very handy to the present , site, while the railways empioyees' nest oi houses is at a very eonveaient dls* tahce, Admittediy at times the trains do stretch across the St. Aubyn street mossittg, but this is only an ineoa* venienee to the tired Willies. FU'teen years ago, in the days of herses and earts, it might have been an ineonven" ience, but not so to»day with motor traffic. If there is a train approaching or being shunted, the ltaiiway Departtnent shoUld have gnteS t© oiose and put up a sign "ClttSed^Go down tO Frederick street or Southampton street fof the nest h&lMjeur.'1 The people who are squealing about the delay at being held up by the trains wduld have a doUble squeai ti the station went to Tolleinache road, and the Same people, after being held up by a train would nof hesitate to stbp and talk lbr a further haif-hour once they got over the crossing. Wellington is an instance wliere the station- Was well dut of the towtt at Thomdon, but at the Buonest oppor* tuue time it Was shifted to be handy to tr.'c business Gentre, wliere the new station nOw is. I think the Minister could be approached with Safety by a countef-de-putation with a suggestidn to keep the statiOn vvhere it is, and close St. Aubyn street to ttiotoi traffic, and build an overhead appfOach for pedestrians. As far aS eliminating the railway passing through the town, there is no pradtical eliminatiiig. plan possible, and whiie the trftin must pass thi'ough the centfe of the town we might as well put up with an oceasion&l iiidonveni* ence and allow the Whole of the trains. Ihe wisest' man versed in railway lore wiio resideO in Hastings within the last decade Was the late. Fl'ancis Hicks, and When he presented ihe Sites he did to the Government he showed marvellous i'oresight, aHd it will be seen in years to eome that if the station. • is left adjacent to where it it Hastings will be a mere progressive town than if the station is shifted to the outskirts, whieh will have the effect oi splitting the whole of the established practices of Hastings' eommereial life. When the Minister visits H&stings, it is to be hoped there wili be a fuil ifluster of everyone iliterested in the station being retained near its pfesfint site OtherWise the ''Toliemache tloadites'' inay be able to convince the Minister, Mr Siillivan, that Hastings requires sometbing it does not want. Thanking you. Mr Editor, for the space for ventilatiug the above subject, which is of vital interest to every nroperty»o\vner in llastiiigs.^-Yours,

etc.,

Hastings, June 23, 1937.