EAST COAST RAILWAY

Sun (Auckland), Volume II, Issue 330, 16 April 1928, Page 14

EAST COAST RAILWAY

SUGGESTED TIME-TABLE

(From Our Own Correspondent) WHAKATANE, To-day

The portion of the East Coast railway line at present controlled by the Public Works Department will be taken over by the Railway Department in about three months, according to a statement made by Mr. A. W. Wellsted, commercial agent of the Railway Department, at Whakatane on Saturday, to the local chamber of commerce.

Before commencing a new timetable, however, he said, the department had several tentative proposals to place before chambers of commerce. The department wanted to give a daily connection with Auckland and to do away with the necessity of passengers from Taneatua and way stations having to wait two and a-half hours at Tauranga. It was therefore proposed to put on a goods and passenger train at 8 a.m., from Taneatua to Tauranga, instead of the 6.25 train now being run. Later on it was proposed that a fast train with only a limited . number of stops would be put on at 10.30 or 11 a.m. Passengers would reach Auckland at 11 p.m. It was proposed that the ordinary Thames express leaving Auckland at 9.30 a.m. should arrieve at Taneatua about 8.30 p.m. It was the aim of the department to put on a time-table that would give satisfaction. It would be a daily service,, which would be carried out in three months’ time. In the meantime the present tri-weekly service would have to be run to enable the contractors to complete the line on the section between Tauranga and Katikati. Those present expressed approval of the proposals. In answer to a question, Mr. Wellsted said the express from Tauranga would reach Frankton at 8.15 p.m. He suggested there would be a regular transit service between Kiwinui railway station and the borough of Whakatane, plying backward and forward. Mr. Wellsted said he would place before his department a suggestion that the Kiwinui station should be changed to Whakatane.