N.I. MAIN TRUNK.

Press, Volume LXI, Issue 18456, 10 August 1925, Page 8

N.I. MAIN TRUNK.

ALLSLEEPER LIMITED.

NOT AN EARLY PROSPECT. A report has been circulated both in "Wellington and Auckland that the Railway Department intends shortly to make tho Limited express into an allsleeper train. Enquiries, however, show that tho change, if it is made, will not take effect for a considerable time. The proposal has beeu considered by tho Department, but only in tho most tentative way, and it has not ill any, sense boon adopted as an item of future policy. There are several reasons-why the-conversion-of the Lihiited into a sleeper train, after tho Artiericatir or Continental model» cannot be effedted hastily. To begin with, practically all tho Department's sleeping cars are in full uso, and it would lie neesesary to build a number of new ones. This is a slow process with the facilities at present existing ift tho Dominion, so much so. that it might be a year or even more before enough cars would be available. An alternative would be to import cars from abroad, which might, perhaps, expedite matters. In order to establish the Lnmited, the Department converted a number of day (?ars into sleepers of the Pullman type, but these are regarded as little better than makeshifts, and it is not proposed at present to construct any moro of them.

The greatest difficulty, however, is that of finance. A Limited express comprises seven passenger coaches — two sleepers, two first-class day cars, and three second-class day cars. A Pullman sleeper accommodates 24 persons,. whereas a secOnd-class day coach accommodates 36. The number of coaches is a fixed quantity, so if all of them wero sleepers, the earning capacity of tho train must be seriously reduced unless the fares wero raised.

No Excess rare. Fast night trains in older countries usually require an excess fare, but the Department from the beginning determined not to charge extra for passages on the Limited. Furthermore, there does not appear to be a ere at demand for sleeping berths. Two coaftheaare usually quite sufficient for passengers' needs. The man who is not going the whole distance, but intends to est off at Palmerston North on the return journey, or at- Frank ton or TaumarunUi on the Southward journey, hiis 'no desire to pay extra for a sleeping berth. Tho train is vety largely patronised by people who afe > content with secondclass accommodation, and do not wish to pay toore than the fare; If they wore excluded there would be a public Outcry. It nitty bp suggested that fiocohd-claea sleeping oars Are protided on the Canadian Pticific Railway, but there sleeping accommodation iB essential, on account of the great distances to* fee traversed, and tie fares are considerably higher than secondfclas& far 63 is New Zealand. Perhaps in years to come when the Main Trunlf traffip warrants _tWo Limited expresses each "way nightly, it may be possible to establish an allsleeper train-de-luxe, but for the present the Department aeems very doubtful about jt as a practical proposition.