The Daily News. WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 28, 1901. RAILWAY TRAVELLING.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XXIII, Issue 194, 28 August 1901, Page 2

The Daily News. WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 28, 1901. RAILWAY TRAVELLING.

A few days ago it vras stated that the mail trains between New Plymouth jand Wellington are to run daily on and after the Ist November, and that the time is to be reduced to twelve hours. The time now occupied on the journey is about fourteen and a half hours, the distance being 252 miles, and the reduction of two and a half hours, though not very great, will doubtless be very highly appreciated by the travelling public. In the >outh Island the journey between Christchurch and Dunedin is done in ten hours, the distance being 230 miles. Considering the distance and the nature of the country, especially between Hiwera, and Turakina, we do not know that there is much to complain of. At all events the change will be a great step in advance of that which now obtains, and shows that Sir Joseph Ward is quite sincere in his determination to give the public of the colony every possible advantage of the railway system. Dealing with the question of railway speeds it is interns! ing to no'ice in the London Tinea of July 12th that ia great railway race has just taken place'-at Home between London and Edinburgh, and while we can never hope with our narrow gauge to do any thing like it here, tbe particulars will doubtless interest our readers. The Times says: —Up till Friday the running of the fast express day drains between London and Edinburgh by t! ree mr.es has not deserved tbe name of a " race," which may ba taken to m -an attempt to arrive at the winning post as foon as possible; but the extraordinary performance by the West Ooast partners marks the beginning of a real race. The train arrived in Prince'ssfcreet Station just 35 minutes abead of time, or in seven hours and 40 minu e3 for the 400 miles, Tbe East Coast companies have had two trains ci:ht'y for many years, covering tbe 393| mjles in seven hours and 45 minutos, and formerly they bad one booked to do the distance in seven hours and 25 minutes. In the " race to Aberd. pn " in 1895 the Eaßt Coast reduced the time from King's-croBR to Edinburgh tp six hours and 19 minutes, with a triin weighing 101 tons only. On Satuidiy the East Coast train completed the journey nine minutes ahead of schedule time, which, however, was not so good as some of its previous performances. The West Coast train failed to reach its time on Friday by 18 minutes, but it was, nevertheless, still 17 minutes to the good. The Midland express was nine minutes late in reaching Edinburgh.