BRITISH RAILWAYS.

Press, Volume LXVI, Issue 20027, 8 September 1930, Page 11

BRITISH RAILWAYS.

1 CLOSURE OF BRAIMW STATIONS. 4 ; (beitibh otroafc wis it us*) EUGBT, Septembgf 5As a sequel to the rapi4' dwelopineOt . . of road transport JS.; branch-line station? on fgft North-Eastern ana London, MKUWjf and Scottish railway are to tm cuvon to passenger traffic wus nwnttu . ,<*• Trains will be used,on tl>e lines affected for the camagp « gPpy ' and livestock only, and pa>niho» WP> s vices substitfuted forth®' pa&tftngw*, .ay the'railway compamea, or WW, WWport companies,, with Wpica toe *®i»r ways are associated. Tall in BevftqUv . * According 'to statement* J*®!?*, Railways Rates Tribunal Utf MW W*„ . four railway companies (London iaq North-Eastern, London, M'WjWi.'n. Scottish, Great WesteTO,. apq BMrt&era railroads) failed to ohtam < tory revenue in- £829 ny t W „ i £5,000,000, and expected that ficiencics were likely to The tribunal, sitting at tbo • f ,-"i Courts, considered the annual nIMfV |v. standard and exceptional cfcarwa t* 1929. Mr P. Bruoe Thomas, K. 0., «b - behalf" of the amalgamated MmunA - said that the deficient of ■ffi.wWMjP.- . ■ in 1929 compared with 1928. ' The deficiencies of- tha-**riaae» . companies were: L.N.EJL, jil,7TO3gPi / L.MJ3., £3,369,572 j G.WJ*., £168,«3; - S.R., £173,564. . Under the Railways' Act, Mr IIMDM remarked, the Tribunal h»d to OMBj if the deficiency were dm to link wj; efficiency or economy in the mawygs ment. In 1928 the Court found tiwtt \ was no lack of efficiency or hhiwt, and v he submitted that the cane w unaltered this year. Mr W. V. Wood, a vicftfnqtfdeatof the L.M.S., giving evidence on Imhlf of the four railway companies, referred to a decrease in passenger - which', he said, Was due' to road ooaqSy rthe issue of cheap tickets -* combat road competition, and de* pressed trade. - Increased receipts an ' the goods'trade were due to incwwiwd trade in certain industries, larly in the case of export ooal. Keferring to the London, and Scottish Railway receipts, lb Wood said that the-company naa been very hard hit by the slump in the tex- . tile trade in Lancashire for the past two years "World ■ trade generally 1m got to a very low ebb," he said. *** l was much mor© optimistic a a«o than I am now. I cannot he very optimistic uow after seeituc oar tadfic receipts/' JJe did not think tfcps.a reduction in the standard chwgtft would increase the rainrsv companies* revenue or diminish any deficiency.