RAILWAY COMMUNICATION.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXII, Issue 9550, 23 July 1909, Page 5

RAILWAY COMMUNICATION.

BETTER FACILITIES. By Telegraph Press Association. WELLINGTON, July 22. As the outcome of a conference of he Hawke's Bay and Wairarapa Jhambers of Commerce, helrl last lay, a' deputation waited o.i the linister of Railways, this morning, o urge that greater facilities in railway communication be given beween Hawke's Bay, Manawatu and "aranaki, and vice versa, to reduce he delays taking place at Woodville nd Palmerston North, and to get urther facilities between the two ioasts. In explaining the requests of the eputation, Mr J. M. Johnston, of 'almerston North, who was chairman f the Conference, said it was imposible to go from Napier to New Plymouth or New Plymouth to Napier n one day. It was impossible to o from Featherston or any station outh of Masterton to New Plymouth n a day or vice versa. The train ?hich leaves Woudville for Palmerton North after arrival of the Vellington-Napier express at Wood- i llle arrived in Palmerston North wenty minutes after the express ( rom Wellington to Auckland had ?ft Palmerston North, and five linutes after the express had left 'almerston North for Wellington ia the Manawatu line. Mr W. C. Buchanan, M.P., 're- ! larked that the impression prevailed 1 11 through the south end of the lorth Island that the Railway ,Deartment had never seriously tackled • he question of absolutely recasting he service which was arranged to rotect the Government railway serice against the competition of the lanawatu Railway. He urged that he Wellington-Wairarapa trains i hould not stop at the smaller sta- i ions so as to give more time at he terminus. If a dining car could , lot be put on the Napier express hs r3freshm2nt room should be re- , noved from Kaitoke to the Summit. The Minister, in replying, said it vas the desire of the Department to ;s far as possible meet the requirenents of the travelling public, and n doing that it was of course imposiible to give satisfaction to everybody. The main trunk line had been ;he first consideration. They wanted ;o get thoroughly established, and the tVairarapa and Napier time tables lad also oeen under consideration for some time. Some of the things the deputation were advocating could not be done. For instance, they were practically asking for a second train j at Napier, where there was neither j the population nor the travelling pubilc to justify it. To do what was asked would mean that the train leaving Napier at 8.45 a.m. would have to leave at 6.15 a.m. To run a second train it would cost £1,700 a year, and that expenditure was not justified by the track returns. The delay at Woodville was too great, and the Department hoped to be able to bring down a time-table j which would as far as possible meet the wishes of the deputation. As to the connection between the East Coast and West Coasts the Minister said they were endeavouring to adjust the time-table so as to make the traffic fit in better than at present. "We are," continued the Minister, "trying to direct the whole of the track to Wellington from as far south as Eketahuna through the Manawatu Gorge, and that is what we are preparing for."