MILE-A-MINUTE TRAINS.

Auckland Star, Volume XXXIX, Issue 249, 17 October 1908, Page 15

MILE-A-MINUTE TRAINS.

ENGLAND'S LEAD IN XON-STOP HUN-S. The fastest-timed trains in Europe over short distances are furnished by the Northern railway of Franco. Kvcry day of the week this enterprising Continental company performs rims of ;in aggregate length of 519} miles at the rate of speed of sixty miles per hour. The mileage accomplished by British railways at the same standard of speed totals only 121, and does not apply to Sundays, viz.: Miles. Mill. Sp'd. North-Eastern, Darlington to York 44] 43 C 1 .7 Caledonian, Forfar to Perth 3C& 32 UO.J North-Eastern York to Darlington 441 44 (i 0.3 However, there are several British runs whose speed falls very little below a mile per minute, viz.: Miles. Mm. Sp'd. Leamington (G.W.R.) to Ealing Broadway IOOJJ 101 50.6 Leicester (G.C.R.) to High Wj combe 70i 80 50.4 I'addlngton to Bristol via Bntll 1185 120 59.2 YorK to Newcastle 80i S2 59.9 I'addingtou to Bristol via liadniinton ing 120 55.8 Leicester (G.C.U.) to Nottingham 23J 24 55.7 Leicester (G.C.Li.) to Woodfor d 34 35 58.3 Although Britain is far from being a country of "magnificent distances," it leads the world as regards the length of' non-stop runs. This summer 156 runs of 100 miles or upwards were performed in the week-day service, two of them exceeding SLKfimles, and thirty-six 150 miles. Owing to the absence of track water troughs, the Continental railways can only show a small | total of such ruus. The longest in Prance j is on the eastern system, Paris to Chau- ! lxiont. IU2J miles, in ISU minutes. The German railways lag far behind | the British and French. The fastest run- j ning In the fatherland is made between Berlin and Halle—lol miles in 110 minutes, speed llftjMlve miles per hour; and the longest without stop betwecu Berliu and .Hanover, 1003 miles, In 103 minutes.