SPEEDING UP TRAINS.

Hauraki Plains Gazette, Volume XXXV, Issue 4701, 21 May 1924, Page 2

SPEEDING UP TRAINS.

departments REPLY. ALTERATIONS NOT WARRANTED. At the February meeting of the Paeroa Chamber of Commerce a suggestion was received from the Te Aroha Chamber for the speeding up of the Thames-Frankton Junction “wild cat” train, and also similar trains from Rotorua and Te Kuiti. so as to reach Frankton not later than 7.15 p.m., and then from that station a regular train to be run through to Auckland, leaving Frankton Junction at 7.45 P.m. If this could be done it was considered that sufficient support would be forthcoming to warrant it. The local chamber fully dealt with tlm suggestion at the last meeting, when it was decided to support the Te Aroha chamber, provided the Rai - way Department considered the cost of the proposal was not too heavy in comparison with the benefits to be thereby obtained. The following is a copy of a reply received from the General Manager. NZ. Railways “With reference to your letter dated April 10 to the Hon. Minister for Railways—which has been referred to me for attention— forwarding a copy of a resolution passed at a meeting of the Paeroa Chamber of Commerce and supporting representations made by the Te Aroha Chamber of Commerce for the running of a night train from Fanktou Junction to Auckland, I hay 3 the honour to inform J’ou that the suggestion of the Te Aroha Chamber of Commerce that the afternoon trains from Thames. Rotorua. Cambridge, ami Te Kuiti be speeded up to reach Frankton Junction at about , 7.15 p.m. is quite impracticable. Two of, these trains, namely, the Cambridge-Frank-ton Junction and the Te Kuiti-Frank-ton Junction, are goods trains (cats are attached thereto for the convenience of passengers who are unable to, avail themselves of the trains provided for passenger traffic); i.e, they arc run primarily for the. purpose of conveying goods traffic, and if speeded up as suggested their usefulness would be seriously diminished, ns their loads would have to be greatly reduced, and as a consequence it would be necessary to provide other trains to cope with the goods traffic. The Thames-Frankton Junction evening trains are mixed trains, and they cater for both passenger and goods traffic. As both these trains stop where required to pick up or set down passengers and work a considerable amount of goods traffic en route they cannot be speeded up to any appreciable extent. Moreover, it is not possible to relieve them of the goods traffic without providing other trains to work same, and this cannot be seriously considered, as the present trains can satisfactorily cope with both passenger and goods traffic. Tn view of the impracticability of speeding up the various branch trains mentioned to reach Frankton- Junction about 7.15 p.m. it appears hardly necessary to deal with the question of the provision of a train to left's Frankton Junction for Auckland at about 7.45 pan., but I may be permuted to State in this connection that as the result of inquiries I am satisfied that the passenger traffic, offering between Frankton Junction.and Auckland is adequately provided for under the existing time-table, ami that the time is not yet ripe for the provision of an evening train from Frankton Junction to Auckland. "The Department is desirous of affording the people every facility that is’waii’ii nt ml by the business offering, but must be assured of a reasonable monetary return before incurring such heavy expenditure as is involved in running a train from Frankton Junction to Auckland and back (a return train is necessary' ,n order to balance the services), a distance .f 170 miles, "It being impracticable to speed up the branch trains as suggested, and there being no prospect of remunerative business for an evening train from Frankton Junction, it is regretted that the suggestion of the Te Aroha Chamber cannot be given effect to.”