Changes designed to improve service
As we reported last week major changes to the Silver Fern and Northerner passenger train services were announced recently by the New Zea-
land Railways Corporation. We have since received details of these changes. The changes, to be implemented during Aprii,
are part of a two-pronged approach aimed at both reducing costs and improving service to customers. The revised timetables will shorten travelling time
The following timetables come into operation on 26 Aprilfor the Northerner and 27 April for the Silver Fern.
Northerner (daily) Southbound Auckland (depart pm) 9.15. Papakura, 9.46; Pukekohe, 10.03; Huntly, 10.48; Hamilton, 11.16; Hamilton, 11.21; Te Awamutu, 11.42; Te Kuiti, 12.15; Taumarunui, 1.34; Taumarunui, 1.36; National Park, 2.43; Ohakune, 3.13; Waiouru 3.40; Marton, 5.23; Feilding, 5.50; Palmerston North, 6.04; Palmerston North, 6.09; Levin, 6.51; Otaki, 7-11; Paraparaumu, 7.29; Porirua, 8.05. Wellington (arrive am), 8.30. Northbound Wellington (depart pm), 8.45. Porirua, 9.06; Paraparaumu, 9.41; Otaki, 10.01; Levin, 10.23; Palmerston
North, 10.57; Palmerston North, 11.02; Feilding, 11.18; Marton, 11.44; Waiouru, 1.33; Ohakune, 1.58; National Park, 2.41; Taumarunui, 3.38; Taumarunui, 3.40; Te Kuiti, 5.02; Te Awamutu, 5.36; Hamilton, 5.56; Hamilton, 6.01; Huntly, 6.31; Pukekohe, 7.17; Papakura, 7.33. Auckland (arrive am), 8.05. Silver Fern (Monday to Friday) Southbound Auckland (depart am), 8.30. Papakura, 8.58; Hamilton, 10.16; Hamilton, 10.18; Taumarunui, 12.22; Taumarunui, 12.23; Ohakune, 1.53; Waiouru, 2.15; Taihape, 3.00; Taihape, 3.01; Marton, 3.55; Feilding, 4.20; Palmer-
ston North 4.34; Palmerston North 4.36; Levin, 5.10; Paraparaumu 5.48; Porirua, 5.19. Wellington (arrive pm), 5.37. Northbound Wellington (depart am), 8.20. Porirua, 8.39; Paraparaumu 9.12; Levin 9.49; Palmerston North, 10.21; Palmerston North, 10.23; Feilding, 10.38; Marton, 11.03; Taihape, 11.56; Taihape, 11.57; Waiouru, 12.42; Ohakune, 1.05; Taumarunui, 2.33; Taumarunui, 2.34; Hamilton, 4.37; Hamilton, 4.39; Papakura, 6.00. Auckland (arrive pm), 6.30. We suggest you cut out and keep these new timetables.
on Railways' long distance passenger routes. From 27 April the Silver Fern's schedule will be cut by one hour. The time saving will be achieved by the elimination of the lunch stop at Taihape together with station stops at National Park, Te Awamutu and Pukekohe. The future of the Te Kuiti stop is still being Continued on page 13
Continued from page 9 Changes designed to improve service
reviewed. Passengers will be able to purchase a twocourse meal served at their seats and the service of complimentary morning and afternoon tea will continue. The journey time for the Northerner will be reduced by one hour and forty-five minutes by the deletion of stops at Otahuhu, Otorohanga, Mangapehi, Taihape, Hunterville and Paekakariki. The sleeping and dining cars will be removed from the train from 26 April; after that date the Northerner will depart Auckland one and threequarter hours later at 9.15pm, and Wellington 75 minutes later at 8.45pm. These later departure times remove the need for on-board catering. Plans are being developed for providing passengers with early morning tea, coffee and light refreshments. "Both the buffet and sleeping facilities on the
Northerner have been highly unprofitable," said a spokesman for NZ Railways. "They are no longer relevant at a price which can be afforded." The catering depots at Wellington and Auckland will be closed as a result of the removal of the sleeping and buffet cars on the Northerner, with the loss of about 100 jobs. Displaced catering staff will be offered the same options of retraining, re-deployment, early retirement or voluntary severance that have been available to all Railways' staff affected by the Corporation's restructuring. These changes will allow significant financial savings to be made, not only in staff reductions, but in car repair and maintenance costs, fuel and many other areas and if Railways is to stay in the long distance passenger business, it must be successful in financial terms.
Permanent link to this item
Hononga pūmau ki tēnei tūemi
https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/WAIBUL19870407.2.29
Bibliographic details
Ngā taipitopito pukapuka
Waimarino Bulletin, Volume 4, Issue 42, 7 April 1987, Page 9
Word count
Tapeke kupu
620Changes designed to improve service Waimarino Bulletin, Volume 4, Issue 42, 7 April 1987, Page 9
Using this item
Te whakamahi i tēnei tūemi
Ruapehu Media Ltd is the copyright owner for the Waimarino Bulletin. You can reproduce in-copyright material from this newspaper for non-commercial use under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International licence (CC BY-NC-SA 4.0). This newspaper is not available for commercial use without the consent of Ruapehu Media Ltd. For advice on reproduction of out-of-copyright material from this newspaper, please refer to the Copyright guide.