RAILWAY SERVICE

Taranaki Daily News, 27 June 1919, Page 4

RAILWAY SERVICE

A DRASTIC REDUCTION. ALL EXPRESSES CUT OUT. ACUTE SHORTAGE OF COAL. . By Telegraph.—Press Association. Wellington, Last Night. In view of the extreme .shortage of coal on the railway* the Department will be forced to bring a restricted timetable into operation early next week. The curtailment will, of necessity, bo very drastic in order to enable supplies to bo' eked out as long as possible. It will affect all services on suburban and main lines, and will include tlio cancellation of the express services between all centres. The conveyance of goods will have to bo limited'to foodstuffs and a few csijciitiul-. ■ The Department linn postponed action in this dire'.'lion us lonj; as pouiblo, and the curtailed timetable m being; btniipht into operation with very preut reluctance. Details will be notilied to-morrow.

A HEAvY REDUCTION. STATEMENT BY THIC MINISTER. Wellington, Last Night. The Minister of Railways, referring to the railway position, states that the curtailment would bo made most heavy, but there would be no more through trains to Auckland in one day. The journey would perhaps occupy three days. The Minister thought it might still be possible to run trains from Christehurch to Dunedin in a day> although the service would be much slower. He could give no information as to the extent to which the suburban services would be reduced. *

BETTER NEWS FROM GREYMOUTH. , Christchurch, Last Night. - • A Grevmouth message states, that the mines aj-e idle owing to trouble with the shift men of No. 3 flection in the Liverpool mine. Qreymouth, Last Night. A stop-work meeting was held by the State miners to-day over trouble with the shift-men, consequently the mine was idle. The matter has been Bettled, and the manager reports that work will he resumed to-morrow. The port will again be in full swing after a week's heJd-up by had weather. The railway tidings wore congested with full coal waggane, but shipping is now available to remove all the coal above ground. POSITION ACUTE IN WELI&HJTON. Wellington, June 88. The consumption of gas since yesterday has been abnormally high and the position is still acute. There ii no ngn of the collier from the West Coast and the company announces that the supply cannot be guaranteed after Saturday night. Yesterday's consumption was a record, being approximately two million. feet. ' ■ , /'' ,,