TRAIN FERRY SERVICE.

Hauraki Plains Gazette, Volume XXXVII, Issue 5015, 18 August 1926, Page 3

TRAIN FERRY SERVICE.

welliNgton-picton connection UiNFAVOURABLE REPORT GIVEN. An unfavourable report on the proposal to institute a train ferry between Wellington and Pi'cton, which would link up with a completed South Island main trunk railway, has been •made to the Government by Messrs Fay imd Casey, of .the Railway Department. The cost of the train ferry steamei’ was given as £195,000, and the provision of terminal ferry facilities at Wellington and Picton as £155,000. Annual running costs* based on 312 round voyages, were estimated at £58,865. Dealing with the factors which attract passengers, the. report predicted that on the hew route the journey to Christchurch would take an hour and a half longer than the present steamer service, and it was. considered that the probability ofc having to travel considerable distances, in the sea-sick atmosphere of a sleeping car would not prove an attraction to passengers. It was estimated that the f.are would be_about £1 12s dearer than at present, and it was believed that after the novelty had worn off the number, of travellers annually would probably be less than 20,000. The report was further of opinion that the' goods offering for .a ferry service would be practically negligible and that the establishment df a ferry for goods traffic was not economically feasible. Messrs. Fay and Casey estimated that the total annual expenditure on a, passenger ferry making one return trip to Wellington-Pic-ton daily would be £73,450', and the total revenue (for 20,000 passengers) £7333, leaving a net loss on working of £66,117.