OUR RAILWAY SYSTEM

Wairarapa Times-Age, 30 July 1938, Page 7

OUR RAILWAY SYSTEM

ABLE TO BEAR COMPARISON WITH AUSTRALIA. IMPRESSIONS OF GENERAL MANAGER. (By Telegraph —Press Association.) AUCKLAND, July 29. “I still think the people of New Zealand have every reason to be satisfied with their railway system. This is not only my view, but also that of a number of Australians I met,” said the General Manager of Railways,' Mr G. H. Mackley, upon his return to the Dominion by the Awatea. Mr Mackley visited the Commonwealth to attend the railway commissioners’ conference of Australia and New Zealand. The conference, which was held in Sydney, fakes place every two years, and follows what is known as the officers’ conference, attended by representatives of practically all branches of the different railway systems in Australia and New Zealand. New Zealand was represented at the latter conference this year by Mr G. T. Wilson, superintendent of transportation, and Mr A. W. Wellsted, commercial manager.

The commissioners’ conference discussed a wide variety of subjects, Mr Mackley said, and the data gathered would be of great value to New Zealand. He had made an inspection of equipment used on the Victorian and New South Wales systems. What had impressed him most was the “Spirit of Progress,” an express train on the Victorian section of the Melbourne-Syd-ney route, buffet cars under construction for speeding-up local services, and the installation of modern train control equipment in Victoria. The new £400,000 Wynyard Station for suburban traffic in Sydney also greatly impressed Mr Mackley. The platforms were below ground level and the administrative quarters above. The standard type of rail-car in New Zealand, he considered, was superior to anything he had seen in Australia. There were some things in Australia that could be introduced into New Zealand to improve travelling comfort, and they would be recommended by him in a report to the Minister of Railways.