BRANCH RAILWAY LINES.

Press, Volume XLIV, Issue 19400, 28 August 1928, Page 9

BRANCH RAILWAY LINES.

TO THE EDITOR OF THE PRESS. Sir,—While the principle of subsidising branch lines from the Consolidated Fund is undoubtedly sound, it is still open to the objection that it removes any incentive to making them less un''remunerative.- " Is it' absolutely necessary to keep a big staff to attend to the permanent way—scarifying the line with dutch hoes and cutting grass with scythes? Couldn't a great deal ;of this work be done by some fixing attached to.the back of an old Ford fitted to run on the line? Is it absolutely necessary to tie whole trains and tram crews up on branch lines to run one train a day or even three trains a Is it absolutely necessary to keep stationmasters on these lines? Could not an ordinary storekeeper, do this work, as he does the post office work, at a. small fraction of the present cost? ;Say all these branch line trains were withdrawn ifco the. main line, and heavy goods traffic run as required from the centre, and these lines were treated as ■tram lines rather than railways. Say ■ one had Leyland 5 or 10 ton chassis and mounted bodies on them resembling bus bodies rather than railway carriages and gave them two or three quite light trailers for passengers and goods, i.e.; .apply the lessons that our buses,and ; motor-lorries have taught us. ; i Adopt one man control as on your Christchurch trams. Paint them with alternate wide vertical stripes of black and white,, so that they will show through any hedge. The present colour of our trains is homicidal, and only suited for a country with no level crossings. Sp long as our branch lines are treated; as railways, and all-losses^are vfrtl' oulrof the Consolidate?!' Fund they will, bte a terrible;expense to the community,"and by their expense in running they will prevent the building of new branch lines for the further development of the country. If; they are;treated as something ■ almost' as informal as a bus route. the;loss could hardly be as great iand if you "put the .telephone into the linesmenjs houses.and treated them as informal • stationmasters, you might: get a more convenient service than at present. By studying, rieid economy on the branch lines we might leariv many valuable lessons for ; the .main 1 lines.— Yours, etc;,': : ■.-■■'■' lb B. ;;;