RAIL TRAFFIC CURTAILED

Press, Volume LXXVIII, Issue 23743, 15 September 1942, Page 4

RAIL TRAFFIC CURTAILED

v— Services in North Island FIFTY-MILE LIMIT WITHOUT PERMIT (P.A.) WELLINGTON, Sept. 14. Drastic reductions in railway services in the North Island, because of the stoppage of coal supplies were announced by the Minister of Railways (the Hon. R. Semple) to-night. These involve the cancellation of the Limited expresses between Wellington and Auckland and the curtailment of other important passenger trains on other Auckland lines to three days a week. Similar action will be taken with expresses between Wellington, New Plymouth, and Napier. Secondary passenger services will also be reduced, and goods traffic will be reduced by 50 per cent. The actual days on which the curtailed services will run have not yet been announced. A Press Association message from Auckland says that the cancellation of the Limited express till further notice as from Wednesday was announced this afternoon •by the Railways Department. The 3 p.m. expresses from Auckland and Wellington will be run each day as usual. The AucklandNew Plymouth express will not run, and the Auckland-Whangarei-Opua and Rotorua expresses will run only on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. The Taneatua express will run only on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays. ' , . „ The Railways Department advises everyone to attempt to return home tomorrow. . , . . Sunday excursion trams and special race trains will no longer be available. There will be a .reduction in suburban train services. The distance which passengers may travel without permits has been reduced from 100 miles to 50. Persons not requiring permits to travel more than 50 miles are members of the forces in uniform or servicemen and their wives and families travelling during leave periods, holders of season tickets for distances of more than 50 miles, and holders of bulk travel vouchers issued before September 14. Others wishing to travel must prove that they require to do so from reasons of national importance or of extreme personal urgency.