FIELD EXPRESS TIME-TABLE.

Shannon News, 4 June 1929, Page 4

FIELD EXPRESS TIME-TABLE.

QUESTIONS BY GUARD. HOURS SHOULD NOT BE CURTAILED. The question of Field’s express leaving Wellington at an earlier hour is exercising the minds of the Railway Department, and the following letter, bearing on tbe subject, should be of interest to our readers:— "Dear Mr. Field, —I noticed a reference in the "Otaki Mail" a few days ago to a suggested alteration in the running of the train that now leaves town at 5.40 p.m. "The proposal, I believe, is to send the train out at 4.15 p.m. on the ground that country people generally like to get home earlier. "Last night coming home in the train from Wellington the guard went through the train asking the passengers collectively in each compartment if they favoured leaving town at 4.15 p.m. "In reply to my enquiry he stated that it was not proposed to get in any earlier in the morning so it means practically 1-1 noui\s taken off the already too short a period we get in Wellington now.

"If the- Railway authorities would note the great ruSh of passengers there is in the last ten minutes at Thorndon they would scarcely think it necessary to enquire whether passengers favoured a curtailment of 1-1 hours of the time they have in town. "Whatever agitation there has been for any alteration in train running such as is suggested it has certainly uot been at all general nor has tho agitation been made openly. "I have never heard anybody suggest that the hours should be curtailed, but I have heard many complaints from time to. time about the shortness of the time allowed in town.

"It is the avowed object of the railway authorities to foster and encourage traffic on our railways/ but they could take no surer way to drive away traffic than by making such a change as is suggested. ‘‘ I may mention one tiling I have noticed recently at Paekakariki. Formerly the stay at Paekakariki was limited to five minutes, just bare time required to take off the surplus cars and to allow passengers to get a cup of tea.

"Recently a change was made by having the engine take in water, for which, I understand, the stay at the station has been lengthened to seven minutes. As a matter of fact on each occasion since this innovation that I have travelled on the train the stay has been about 15 -minutes, and I am confident that it was all that or even more last night.

" One of the re.asons given by the railway authorities . for wanting to make the change was the difficulty of the crossing and interfering with, the running of other trains.

"There is one case where valuable time could be saved, for the train under discussion Tan- for several years with the shorter stop at Paekakariki so why can’t they revert to it? "If it is absolutely necessary to make an alteration in the -train running to obviate interference with other traffic then the Department could witli advantage arrange for the morning train to arrive in Wellington by 10 o’clock.

“It may be objected that this would be too early for the train to lehve Palmerston, but as far as Palmerston passengers are concerned they can travel by the Limiteu, while I think the traffic on the slower train (the 6.58 a.m.) from North of Levin is very small. The earlier arrival in Wellington suggested would be a great advantage to all passengers from Levin downwards.

"If no other'Vay cut of the difficulty can be found the institution of a train leaving Levin at 7 a.m. or 7.15 a.m. would meet the convenience of most passengers.

"One other point I may mention regarding the early departure from Wellington is that it would prevent many business people from using the train who now come out on it after closing time.

"One thing is certain, that if the Department makes the alteration they suggest, or curtail in the least the present period that passengers have in town, there will be a storm of protest right up the line. "The success and popularity of ‘Field’s Express' should have convinced them that it met a real need. I trust that wiser counsels will prevail. —Yours faithfully, (signed) A. H. BURGESS, Waikanae,, May 21st, 1929."