TRAIN JOURNFYS

Wairarapa Times-Age, 30 May 1942, Page 4

TRAIN JOURNFYS

WEEKEND FACILITIES CURTAILMENT OF SERVICE. NO SUNDAY EXCURSIONS. (By Telegraph—Press Association.) WELLINGTON, This Day. Because of the depletion of the railway operating staff due to the requirement’s of military service, the coal shortage and the heavy call on carriage stock for the transport of men of the armed forces, it has been found necessary to curtail some of the facilities which have hitherto been available for travel by train, particularly at weekends. This announcement was made last evening by the Minister of Railways, Mr Semple. From and including Sunday, June 7, said the Minister, the issue of special excursion tickets for travel by what were familiarly known as the Sunday excursion trains would be suspended, also the cheap fares in vogue in certain areas for travel to and from the principal cities of the Dominion at Weekends. Similarly, the cheap fares hitherto authorised for long-distance travel to and from race meetings and other special events would no longer be available.

The Minister said that this would not necessarily mean the elimination of the Sunday trains; services commensurate with the demand would be retained to cater for the transport of soldiers (whose cheap fares would not be interfered with) and for the general public desiring to travel at ordinary fares.