Job losses for Taihape

Waimarino Bulletin, Volume 4, Issue 45, 28 April 1987, Page 6

Job losses for Taihape

An 80-year old tradition came to an end last weekend when the Taihape railway tearooms stopped serving meals to train passengers on the North Island Main Trunk Line. As from 25-26 April meals and refreshments will no longer be available at the Taihape Railway Station and the Silver Fern will no longer stop there for lunch.

It is the end of an era in the history of rail travel in New Zealand. In future, light aircraftlike meals will be served on the daylight Silver Fern and the shortened journey and later departure time of the overnight Northerner will allow passengers to eat a meal before catching the train. Eight railway restaurant staff at Taihape have lost their jobs as a result of the closure.

One long-serving member of staff said last week that she had never received a single complaint about the food in the 24 years she had worked in the tearooms. The buffet and sleeping cars on the Northerner have been eliminated and the time for the night journey between Auckland and Wellington has been reduced by two hours by cutting out six stops en-route. The time for the Silver Fern journey has also been reduced by the elimination of four stops but Ohakune remains a regular stop for both trains in both directions. New Zealand Railways assistant general manager, Ewan McQueen, said yesterday that while alcohol will still be served on the daylight Silver Fern service as in the past, no alcohol will be available on the overnight Northerner service. "The buffet car service on the overnight train had become something of a legend in the past ... it was probably the longest pokergame in the country," he said. According to Mr McQueen the Silver Fern carries as many overseas passengers as it does New Zealanders.