RAILWAY RUSH

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 625, 30 March 1929, Page 1

RAILWAY RUSH

HEAVY EASTER TRAFFIC THOUSANDS LEAVE AUCKLAND Fourteen express trains, packed to capacity, left Auckland on Thursday. All day long, but particularly in the evening, crowds thronged the railway station. from soon after 6 o’clock in the evening until the last night express left for Opua after 10 o’clock, the station platforms were besieged by a struggling throng. Although no figures are yet available, it is believed to have been the biggest crowd ever to have left Auckland by train in one day. Harrassed officials perspired in the heat and handled the crowd in a most efficient manner. There were no delays at Auckland, though at Wellington a shortage of carriages delayed the departure of the first express for Auckland from 3 o’clock until after 5. A report that there were several breakdowns on goods trains is contradicted by the Railway Department. The only mishap which occurred was on a goods train between Huntly and Taupiri on Thursday evening, when a Westinghouse break hose broke and held up the train for a short time. On Thursday every available railway carriage at Auckland was in use, and the traffic department was hard put to it to make up all the trains to schedule time.

There were only 300 cars at the disposal of the foreman and some of these were very old-fashioned. However, they were good for an emergency. As soon as one train arrived and deposited its passengers the cars were sent straight out again on other trains. The suburban trains, which had to be kept running, were “juggled” round and cars were taken from them to make up the expresses. No time was lost, and men in the shunting yards worked like Trojans to have the trains made up in time. This morning all trains from the South were crowded. The first express. due in Auckland soon after 7 o’clock, did not reach here until 3 0 o’clock, because of the delay in leaving Wellington. It consisted of 16 carriages all full. The Limited, which was following behind, did not arrive until 10.15 o’clock Auckland’s difficulties this year have been increased by having to provide trains for Tauranga and the East Coast line, which was not in operation last year. Yesterday the inwards traffic was heavier than the outward. Including the Daylight Limited, seven expresses' arrived from the South, as well as from other centres. * In addition to to-day’s trains, which are fairly busy, there are well-pat-ronised race trains running every few minutes to Ellerslie. Easter is the busiest time for the Railway Department, as the traffic is so concentrated. Thousands of passengers must be accommodated in four days, thus testing the department’s facilities to the utmost. The return to the city on Monday and Tuesday will probably be easier, as many holidaymakers have gone away for long periods. The greatest rush will be from Rotorua and Opua, which have been well-patronised this year. -