A ROUND TRIP

New Zealand Times, Volume LIII, Issue 12611, 23 November 1926, Page 4

A ROUND TRIP

SHIP, RAIL, AND MOTOR MORE ECONOMIC, YET BETTER SERVICE CO-OPERATION REPLACES COMPETITION Commencing on December 6t.li, the Railway Department will make a six months’ trial of a combined rail and motor service connecting up Nelson, Blenheim, and Christchurch via the East Coast, Similarly, train and motor are to co-opei‘nto for the convenience oif travellers from Nelson to Greymoutli. Through connections will also be possible witli the North Island via the ferry services between Wellington and Picton and Wellington and Nelson respectively. It is the desire of the Railway Department to effectively meet road competition, and it is believed that on the run between Christchurch and Parnassus, about 85 miles, can bo accomplished under a plan by which the load competition will cease and motor companies will provide a motor connection between Parnassus, Blenheim, and Nelson. Wellington passengers will bn able to leave Wellington at 3 p.m. cn Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, connecting at Picton with the train lor Blenheim. In the morning naasengors for Christchurch will join the motor service which leaves Blenheim at 7.45 a.m.. will lunch at JCaikoura. and arrive at Parnassus.at'l.4s p.m., thence proceeding by train to Christchurch, arriving at 5.14 n.m. This service naturally will not find favour with those who prefer travelling hv the ferry to and from Lyttelton. which takes much less time, but j

it will probably prove a convenience for commercial travellers and others who desire to take things in their stride. Those who desire to reduce the sea voyage as much as possible and enjoy the pleasure of travelling by day through the scenic -beauties of the East Coast on the route between Blenheim and Christchurch will prefer the ■ new service. ' VISITORS FROM SOUTH For those travelling northward an express train will leave Christchurch at 7.55 a.in. daily, arriving at Parnassus three hours later. Here a motor for Blenheim will be joined. Lunch will be provided at Kaikoura about 1 3 o’clock, arriving at Blenheim about 5 : p.m. Next day the journey from Blcn--1 iieim for Wellington will he resumed , by train at 12.55 p.m., and file Pic- ( ton steamer will make port *t about . 5.30 p.m. Special arrangements have been > made with the motor firms at present 1 operating on the road between Blenl heim and Christchurch whereby they • will cease to run between Christchurch 1 and Parnassus, nnd they will co-,->o.r-ate with the department in walking • the combined rail nnd motor service. ■ The connection with Nelson will be 1 particularly good, as passengers, leaving Christchurch by the 7.55 a.m. express will reach Nelson at 9 p.m. the •same night by service oars leaving Blenheim at 5.30 p.m.—half an luUr after arrival there from Christchurch. Nelson passengers wishing to travel to Christchurch will leave hv car nt 4 a.m., and reach Christchurch bv train . nt 5.14 p.m. the same evening. At present Nelson passengers for Christchurch who travel by sea via Welling-J ton have to spend two nights and a 1 day on tho journey. CO-OPERATIVE RUNNING Passengers for the West Const, will find the new service from Nelson eounjlv attractive. The steamer from WoTlij'gtou will be o’-t nt Nelson corf, j by a train wliicli v.il] leave the wharf

immediately the steamer arrives, and .. dl run a fast passenger service with a limited number of stops to Glenliope. Through passengers will be transferred to motor services connecting up. with a train at Inangahua Junction for Greymouth, passengers for Westport proceeding from Inangahua by car. The trial is something in the nature of a test of the efficiency of combined services. In view of the economic disadvantages which result from motor services running in competition with trains over similar routes, nnd the fact that previously this has been unavoidable, a marked improvement should occur in the general position created by the changes on these routes. AVith better services than were possible under the through motor run. the obvious advantage, both to passengers and trnpsportation, which is gained by a connecting service of this kind, the requirements of travellers will he catered for to an exceptional degree, and as the advantages of the routes become better known, a considerable accession of trnffic is expected on the East Coast run. The convenience of tho connections which will bo established between steamer, train, and motor will probably induce many travellers to avail themselves of one or other of these trips in their Ohristmns and New Year holidays. The new services will also provide a fine round-trip tour of the northern parts of the South Islnnd via Otira,