RAILWAY REFORM.

Press, Volume LIV, Issue 9834, 17 September 1897, Page 6

RAILWAY REFORM.

TO THE EDITOR Or THJt PRESS. Sir,—The whole community is greatly interested in the question of railway reform, but it will rest mainly with the Chambers of Commerce and the editors of newspapers to keep agitating this subject until some improvements are introduced. Travelling by the morning train from Ashburton to Christchurch last Tuesday it occurred to mc to note the time consnmed in stoppages at the various stations. Tlie train stopped at ten stations, the several stoppages combined amounting to fifty-thres minutes and five secondi. At Selwyn we waited twelve minutes and fifty seconds to pass the train from Christchurch. Notwithstanding the better part of an hour consumed in necessary stoppages and shunting the train steamed into Christchurch station two minutes ahead of time. It seemed to mc that at least half an hour could have been saved without hurrying or hampering any of the officials. To suit the vast majority who travel by this train, and especially the country people, who have to drive some distance from the station to their homes, the start ought to be made from Ashburton at 7.30, and tram should reach Christchurch at ten o'clock. On returning in the afternoon the train should leave Christchurch at four o'clock and reach Ashburton at haif-past six. This would suit the Methven people vastly better than the present arrangement. Then on one day of the week tlie Springston train could ba delayed until the arrival of the train from Christchurch. The gain to public convenience would be immense, and 1 trust that the Ciiamber of Commerce and the public generally will take up this matter and urge tlie Department to give iifa fair trial. — -Tours, &cAshburton. TO THE EDITOR of THE PRESS. Sir,—Being a regular passenger on the Christchurch-Lyttelton line for many years, I speak from experience when I say that the management is going from bad io worse. Considering the excessively high rate of fares on this line, and the fact that the large passenger traffic makes it the best paying line, in fact the milch cow of the railways, one would be lead to think that the authorities would endeavour to make the comfort and convenience of passengers their first consideration. 'Instead of doing so it appears as if they had determined to test how much the public will submit to. In the first place, the trains are made up as a rule of the oldest and most ramshackle description of carriages, many of which must have been run from time immemorial. The lamps are of the worst kind, usually old oil lamps turned down to the lowest ebb ; not infrequently some carriages unlit whilst going through the tunnel; and for some months latterly the trains have been turned into mixed goods and passenger, frequently as many trucks as cars, with the result that punctuality is a thing of the past. Twice within the last few days when I have been travelling the train has stopped at Woolston, and been detained whilst the goods trucks have been shunted. On the last occassion the train was run beyond the platform, apparently to enable the tracks to be more easily shunted, and regardless of the convenience of passengers who wanted to alight at the platform. And returning from Port the passengers are every day taken to the south platform in Christchurch, and made to climb over the bridge solely because of goods trucks being made part of the train. There is a platform specially built for Lyttelton trains, but for the reason stated it is only ÜBed occasionally. Seeing that there is a double line to the tunnel, there can be no possible excuse why goods trucks of any description should form part of the passenger trains. On some of the single country lines it may be convenient, though even in these cases I question very much whether it would not be more economical as well as convenient, to keep the goods and passenger traffic distinct.—Yours, &c. ( Passenger.