A CROWDED TRAIN

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXVII, Issue 8358, 19 February 1913, Page 3

A CROWDED TRAIN

PASSENGERS* COMPLAINT. UNUSUAL SUNDAY RUSH. To the Editor “N.Z. Times.” Sir, —The subject matter of our complaint is Sunday fares and accommodation. between Thorndon and Paraparau*nu. Purchasing tickets at Thorndon booking office on Sunday morning for Paraparaumu, we were requested to take through tickets to Otaki—merely fourteen miles farther—the booking clerk remarking that it would be cheaper to do so. If this said clerk had any right or authority to suggest our booking destination, it certainly should have been Waikanae, as we were subsequently informed, We were given first-class Sunday excursion tickets to Otaki, bearing the price 7e lOd. We again learnt, while on the journey, that it would have been considerably cheaper to have purchased tickets for the next station (Waikonae) four miles further on. It seems strange that stations prior to and beyond Paraparaumu are subject to excursion rates. Re Accommodation —When Plimmerton was reached sufficient passengers had spilled themselves out en route to enable us to find scats. Walking from end to end of the train of carriages we observed that approximately 100 persons were seatless, I am not aware whether thefce anomalies have always existed, but i whether or no, we exist under a reform Government now. Thanking you Mr Editor to publish this complaint,—We axe, etc.. “AN GLEES." DEPARTMENT'S REPLY. The Railway Department, to whom these complaints were referred, stated with regard to the first that the book-ing-clerk made a mistake in telling the passenger to purchase a ticket for Utaki. He admitted making the mistake, and is willing to refund to passenger, if he cornea along, the amount of excess fare. In this case, it was Is Bd. The clerk should have told the passenger to book for Waikanae, that being the limit of the particular section or scries of stations within which Paraparaumu was included. This, however, was quite a personal matter with the clerk. That the train was overcrowded is admitted by the department. This was explained by the fact that the train was the biggest for two or three years for a Sunday morning, and it had the largest number of people carried for a considerable time. A large proportion was landed at the station from trams, within two or three minutes of the time of departure of the train. The engines provided were fully loaded, and to lengthen the train meant getting another engine ready. That would have caused serious delay. There was a small number of people in excess of seating accommodation, but not a very serious number, and it was considered that accommodation for all would be found when people got off at Ngaio, Khandallah, and Johnsonville The train had ten carriages, and this was the limit of the haulage capacity available. The department could not have foreseen such a sudden and unusual rush of passengers; there was nothing special to attract a crowd; even the ' weather was indifferent. We reckoned there were about fifty people who could not find seats—an average of five to each carriage."