ELECTRIC SERVICE.

Auckland Star, Volume LXVI, Issue 230, 28 September 1935, Page 15

ELECTRIC SERVICE.

JOHNSONVILLE LINE.

RAILWAYS BOARD'S PLANS

FARES SIMILAR TO TRAMS,

(By Telegraph.—Press Association.) WELLINGTON, this day. The Railways Board has decided, after careful investigation, and subject to the passing of a bill ensuring to the board public transport rights in the district, to provide suitable, multiple-electric units for the Wellington-Jolinsonville line, which will be no longer a main line after the opening of the Tawa Flat deviation. The overhead 1 reticulation involved costs £90,000.

Mr. G. H. Mackley, General Manager of Railways, said last night that the proposal involved a considerable capital expenditure, and the Railways Board felt that it could not incur the expenditure unless it could be assured of the whole of the transport business of the district served by the railway. A fast and frequent train service would be provided at half-hourly intervals, with ample additional trains to cater for the morning and evening peak traffic. The over-all time for the journey, including five stops, would be 20 minutes. There was a proposal to provide additional stopping places at three new points. Fares would be arranged on a sectional basis, somewhat similar to a tramway system, the proposed fares to Johnsonville being as follows:—Ordinary single fares, 9d; workers' weekly tickets, 3/(5; 12-trip concession tickets, 4/0. With the introduction of the proposed service, coincident with the opening of the new station, residents of tuj JSlgaio-Khandallali-Johnsonville area would have transport facilities unequalled in the Dominion. It was not the intention of the board to discontinue the road services in the district, which would be served by the Department along those routes distant to any material extent from railway stopping places if, under the changed and improved conditions, there ■ remained any reasonable demand for such services.

Mr. Mackley added that in the event of the line being abandoned, its residual value would be comparatively little, consequently the board felt justified in discounting it, and had not taken the value of the existing track, or facilities, into its calculations when considering the economic aspect of the proposal for electrification. This gave the district a decided advantage, and enabled the board to extend its policy of service to the public in a way that would otherwise have presented a more difficult economic problem.