The Wairarapa "Express."

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume XV, Issue 4827, 17 September 1894, Page 2

The Wairarapa "Express."

[TO THE EDITOR,]

Slit,—lt seoms a paradox but it is truetliatontho Wellington section" of railway wo possess one of tlio best Traffic Managers in tho Colon)' but one of the worst train services. There can bo no and tbo Djf partment takes advantage of this by sacrificing comfort for economy to an altogether unduo extent. . Better carriages have long beoifc needed, and it is only in tardy fairnass, tliatJiewiOueG are bring built now T tJliey should have/dccn running long ago, Still, the dawn of a desire to afford reasonable facilities for travel is not to be despised, and we can afford to complimont tho Manager on the reckless enterprise which is leading him to spend a trilling portion of tho large income of this prosperons.section of railway pn these three now "bird-cage cars. . :

_ But tlio increase of traffic lias justified a faster and more conveni. ent train service and it should come now. Half an hour at least should bo saved on each journey, and the afternoon trains. from Wellington, and Masterton respectively should leavo correspondingly later, making r up the time on tho trip, and arriving at their destinations at much the same hour as thoy do now. A person'who goes todobusinoss ineitlierMasterton or Wellington amvea only just before lunch, and has to think about ! his preparations for leaving directly after lunch, The return train from Wellington leaves the City at-3,30 p.m., and that from Masterton af '** 3.10 p.m. They could each be put, back half an hour with distinct' advantage to evoryone who travels.' In the case of the down train quicker ■ running between Masterton ' and Featherston, and then again after leaving the Summit,also tho catting out of all small stations betweon Upper Hutt and Wellington, leur. in? in only Lower Hutt and Petono) ' would overtake tho timo lost Wtho ;• later start, The up-train isjnore difficult to deal with as tefoim tho (lag stationsbetween Wellington and Upper Hutt, as school children # travel by it, but it, also, could certainly savo time by slightly quicker trayelling on thoso portions of tho ' lino which permit of it. At any rate, to again allude to Masterton, 3.10 p.m. is an unreasonably early/- • hour for people to havo to lcavo by ■ : It means that they practically cannot tlo business, much after two oclock, as the station is a mile out' of-town, and the coaches lcavo for it at 2,30 p.m. The latter thus becomes the real starting.tjKto,faras tho " public is concerned,*-'

i Let us hope that the Bail- , way Department will givo our . t i requirements 111 this connection - "■ 4 ; ful considerationand attention. 1%'"; ; >| > m J ' iavo to incur increased expense v'J. I i tk'ough the acceleration of speed on '' !> i both sides of the bill, and there- 3? i adjustment, of local and suburban. ' i trains at the Wellington end, caused by _ the non-stoppage of through trams at Hag stations j but let them comfort themselves-with thereto- •••&& turn that at the rate traffic is increas- "' ? - mg on the Wairarapa line, (fero : ig ■ still some profit in the business, and ' I that in any case it is unfair to , expect all and give nothing. Some* -Jl thing is due to the public, and thov ' <1 ought to get the liberal trcatmont in ■-S railway matters the importance and' ■'•l volume of traffic on the Wairarapa ;i line entitles thorn to. Butletth era ' remember that as long as they will . '){ put up with .poor accommodation,. 'f that is, all'the people will get: for " I tho policy of the Hailwav-DMiart. ment seems to be to make as much as possible with as little oxponso ns * possible, no matter venieuced. 1 ' * Let : ino suggest, to the. .Traffic .Manager that tho present is a good |imo/toviwisf ::liis;;tinio;.table and 7 bnng it Ho |*fc. .Spring both are; Concessions, aud. improvements' an necessary or the rai%mlllack utility and;lose popularity There are, it is admitted, ManajippMljQ