HEAVY BOOKINGS FOR PERTH GAMES

Press, Volume C, Issue 29712, 4 January 1962, Page 7

HEAVY BOOKINGS FOR PERTH GAMES

NEARLY 3000 inter-state passengers are already booked to travel by rail to Perth in the week immediately preceding next year’s Empire Games, according to an Australian Railways spokesman. He said that the railways would accept another 1000 bookings and that double the normal number of carriages had been provided to accommodate these bookings. If necessary, an additional four trains, each able to accommodate 280 passengers, could be provided for this period.

Railway bookings normally operate only 12 months ahead, but for the Games period bookings had been opened 18 months ahead. This earlier booking plan was made to allow Games visitors ample time to arrange satisfactory accommodation in Perth. Normally five trains a week make the crossing from Adelaide to Perth. The spokesman said that from November 6 next year, trains would make the trip daily. This extra service would probably carry through the Christmas-New Year period into the middle of February. When extra trains were required for busy

periods, such as the preGames week, extra trains would be coupled to the normal daily service. This would mean that two locomotives, eaeh with its own complement of carriages, would make the transcontinental trip coupled together. The only disadvantage to passengers would be that walking between carriages would only be possible within each half of the double train.

Three double train services have already been arranged for the week November 15 to November 22, 1962. Facilities would be available to provide another four such trains.