INTER-STATE RAILWAY Huge Crowd Sees First Train

Press, Volume CI, Issue 29798, 14 April 1962, Page 11

INTER-STATE RAIL WAY Huge Crowd Sees First Train

(N.Z. Press Assn. —Copyright)’ MELBOURNE, April 13. Nearly 1(),(MM) people packed Melbourne’s Spencer street station this afternoon to see the new Sydney-Melbourne express, the “Southern Aurora.” pull into number one platform. It was the first train to travel between Sydney and Melbourne on the new standard gauge railway. Previously, all passengers—and freight—have had to change trains at Albury, on the State border.

The long silver streamlined train, pulled by two powerful blue and gold diesel locomotives. came in to the accompaniment of a long and two short blasts of the train’s whistle. The 300 Government officials and other passengers on the long train walked along the platform to watch the Governor-General (Lord De L’lsle) step on to the red carpet which had been laid on the platform. Drizzling rain fell as the Governor -General inspected a Royal Australian Navy guard of honour. As the Governor-General returned to the official dais, about 1000 spectators and a number of railway workers broke through a barrier and crowded under the covered section which had been reserved for official guests. The Prime Minister (Mr Menzies), in his speech, said that at one stage of his career, he was a Minister of Trans-

port. When Mr Menzies said: •‘l'm really a railwayman at heart." there were a number of catcalls and cries of "Rubbish" and "What Rot,” from railwaymen in the audience. Mr Menzies said that the linking of Melbourne and Sydney by the standard gauge would benefit the whole of Australia. "This is a very notable day.” he said. Police On Guard

Thousands of people flocked on to the platform to inspect the new train when the official ceremony ended. Uniformed police stood guard at the doorways of all carriages to prevent souvenir hunters from entering the train. There were so many people on the platform that luggage

porters could not move baggage left on the train by official guests. Railway officials appealed over loud speaker systems for people to leave the platform. Meanwhile, at least 400 persons had queued up in front of the driver's cabin of the leading locomotive to get the autograph of the driver. Mr Cyril Kettle, who brought the express from Albury on its first run. Mr Kettle, who had to go to a garden party, left the train by walking backwards through the crowd. A colleague. Mr Thomas Donnelly of north Melbourne, replaced Mr Kettle in the driver's cabin and he signed hundreds of autographs until he had to give up because of writer's cramp.