ELECTRIFICATION.

Hokitika Guardian, 14 August 1923, Page 1

ELECTRIFICATION.

Since so high an authority as Mr Evan Parry has declared in favour of the* oloeti iliestion. not only of the Lii tr is t church-Lyttelton nii.hvnjy line, but of the .Hast and West Coast railway section from Jackson's to Springfield, taking m the most mountainous portion of the Midland Railway rout:', it is of interest to learn what English authorities with some experience regarding electritied railways have to say upon the subject. ‘'Engineering'’ of recent date calls attention to a paper presented by Sir Philip Dawson to the Institute of Transport, in which discussion is directed to the single question of the financial benefit likely to accrue from conversion. The paper was baseon a scries of investigations undertaken on the Loudon, Brighton and South Coast Railway, and begun in 1919 with a view to the definite consideration of the electrification of the lion-converted part of Die suburban system and the main line services to Brighton. Eastbourne and Worthing. “It is clear” (observes ‘'Engineering”) “that valuable data bearing on this subject should ho available on the Brighton system, since in common with the Liverpool and Southport line ami the suburban services around New castle it represents the conversion of a normal steam line and lias been in operation over a considerable number of years.”

“It is common knowledge” (continues ‘•Engineering”) “Hint suburban railway electrification in this country has usually led to an important increase in traffic, but this mere fact in itself is not.evidence that such electrification is likely to be a financial .success. Quite apart Tirom the new capital charges which electrification represents and the question of the relative operating costs of steam and electric services, comparison of the two cases is rendered difficult by the contrast which usually exists between the facilities off re I by the electrical service as compared with the steam service it has been sin erse.lcd. Electrical operation lends itself icadily to a frequent r.nd rapid schedule and lias usually been associated with a progressive policy, and a true idea of the inherent traffic-making finalities of electrical working will not he obtained if iimdorn facilities of this kind are compared with the conditions si ill existing one some of our suburban, lines on which I radio pnssibilities are complicated by the running of three classes of roach, and passengers are discouraged 1 v failure t<issue third-class season tickets, or the issue i f them only under vexation i re~

sl"i 'tior.s rml in similar ways. The superiority of electric opei-ilion from the point of view of an intensive sortie needs no argument aL the present (1 ; v . hut a .orre-t idea of the tralfirmcd i'ig power of eicciri'*«l working will nut" l-e' obtained ,1 it is to be credited with idle results which love pillowed fcom the abandonment ol some of the traffic-rep: cs.-ing archaic notions whieli still persist in some quarters.