THE FIELD EXPRESS.

Shannon News, 8 September 1925, Page 3

THE FIELD EXPRESS.

TO LEAVE WELLINGTON AT 5.40 P.M. RUN TO SUIT SUBURBAN RESIDENT'S. If anything more were needed to show how little the railway authorities care for the interests of country residents, it is contained In the Minister for Railway’s letter to Mr W. H. Field, M.P., quoted below. It will be remembered that as a result of many complaints as to the . late running of the Field express—one of the chief effects of which has been LO' disorganise the evening mail service from Wellington —the Department consulted the local bodies ami Chambers oi Commerce along the Manawatu line, with a view to putting forward the time of departure, the time suggested beipg 4.15. Nut-. 1 urally this was strongly objected to by all the larger centres north of Paekakarilii. The obvious solution was that the train be speeded up through the suburban area. It was only reasonable to, suppose that tlie Department, if it wished to'be consistent, would in this case apply its own dictum that through passengers were the first consideration. In the issue, however, it seems that wlmt is sauce for the Levin goose so far as express trains are concerned is not sauce for the suburban gander in respect of the Field express. “It would impose undue hardship,” says the Hon. 'J, G. Coates,' “to deny these passengers the use of the Palmerston North train in the suburban area,” This sounds like an echo of our contention “that it, has imposed undue hardship, to 1 deny Levin, Otaki and Shannon passengers the use of the j Taranaki and Napier expresses that pass through their area.” The Minister’s admission of the principle that through passengers, after all, are not the main consideration, will be welcomed in Levin, and promptly applied 'to* 'the ’express train controversy. Meanwhile the following correspondence makes interesting reading:— MR FIELD TO’ THE MINISTER. “The Hon. ’Minister of Railways, “Wellington. “Dear Sir,—Your letter of yesterday’s date intimating' that there was a proposal to change the time of the departure of the present 5.40 train, known as (‘Field's Express, 1 ’ from Thorndon to 4.15 p.m. comes to me us a painful surprise. “I cannot agree to any such change, for it would entail a reversion to very nearly tlie same highly unsatisfactory time table which my train was intended to remedy. The position is aggravated by the distance, a full mile, of the Thorndon station .from the centre of the city. “I would remind you that the time of departure. of this train has already been put back twice, it was originally 6 p.m., but 5 minutes were added to the journey to provide needless stops at Nguio and Khandallah. The residents- of these suburbs have alreay trains at 4.45 pun., 5,10 p.m., 5.25 pun., 6.4 p.m. and 6.19 p.m. Then on the recent revision of the timetable the hour of this train was altered to 5.40 p.m. “Now it is suggested, to revert to the same hour as the train which i for many years complained of as leaving too early. This change might suit the people of Palmerston North, who have already two expresses and two mails,' as well as the slower trains available for iheir use. “I am sure the proposed alteration will not mee,t the needs of the Manawatu Line residents, who have already been hit badly by the loss of the mail train stops. I am, however, referring the whole matter'to representative bodies in my district, and will communicate tlie result- to you, but my own view is that the most convenient time for tlie departure of this train would be about 5.15 pun. and 1 strongly urge that its pace may be' accelerated on both its journeys.—Your faithfully, W. 11. FIELD.” Wellington, July 9', 1925. THE MINISTER TO MR FIELD. “W. H. Field, Esq., M.P., “Wellington. “Dear Sir,—With further reierence to my letter of Bth July and your reply dated '9th idem in regard to the departure time from Wellington of the afternoon train for Palmerston North, I have to advise you that the departure time of this train could not be fixed for 5.15 pun., without seriously interfering with the evening suburban traffic wl'iicli' is at its heaviest about that time and consists chiefly of business people and workers returning home after the day’s business. It was found in the course of enquiries that the opinion of those affected was decidedly in favour of the present time, 5.40 pun., in preference to any other time thai would be suitable after 4.0 p.m. and in view of this it is considered advisable to. adhere to the present time. “The suggestion that the train should run earlier did not emanate irom the Department, and it was only for the purpose of ascertaining' the trend of public opinion that tlie Department instituted enquiries. “The 5.40 pun. train is much availed of by homeward hound suburban residents .whose business prevents them catching the 5.25 pun. and who would .otherwise he compelled to wait until after 6.0 pun. for a tram.. It would impose undue hardship to deny these passengers the use of the Palmerston North train in the subuiban area.—-Yours faithfully, (Signed) “J. G. COATES, “Minister of Railways. August 31, 1925.