WEEK-END TRAVEL

Press, Volume XCIX, Issue 29342, 22 October 1960, Page 17

WEEK-END TRAVEL

Extra Services To Meet Demand

Accommodation for rail, sea and air transport was at a premium yesterday as hundreds of Christchurch people set off early to other parts of the Dominion for their Labour week-end holiday.

Express trains south were full, as was the inter-island steamer express from Lyttelton. National Airways Corporation ran eight extra flights, in addition to the normal scheduled services to cope with the demand.

Fairly heavy bookings on most railway services from Christchurch was reported last night. On Friday and Monday, the interisland steamer express services from Christchurch to Wellington, and vice-versa, will carry peak numbers of passengers. Over the holiday period, the Railways Department ordinary services are being augmented. Yesterday an additional express from Dunedin and two from Christchurch to Greymouth operated. Today normal services will operate. Tomorrow, there will be no services between Christchurch and Picton, and Christchurch and Greymouth, although the usual railcars will run between Christchurch and Dunedin. On Monday two extra express trains will run from Dunedin in addition to one from Christchurch to Dunedin and two additional express trains from Greymouth to Christchurch. A special excursion train will leave Christchurch for Southbridge at 9.20 a.m. During the week-end N.A.C. are running 50 extra flights in and out of Harewood. There were eight yesterday, four this morning. 10 on Monday and three on Tuesday. Although bookings are heavy, some accommodation is available on certain flights. By comparison with the huge number of outgoing travellers from the City, if bookings at city hotels are any Indication, Christchurch should be relatively quiet over the week-end.