LIMITED “A JOKE"

Press, Volume CII, Issue 30121, 3 May 1963, Page 13

LIMITED “A JOKE"

Introduction Of Railcars Urged

A suggestion by Mr R. Lascelles for the revolutionising of the WellingtonAuckland rail services was last night referred by the Canterbury Chamber of Commerce to the Wellington chamber for investigation. Mr Lascelles, in his written suggestion, called for reciprocal, air-conditioned, limited stop, daylight rail-car services with new low-ceiling units fitted with panoramic windows, synthetic “seethrough” anti-glare screens, reclining seats and with a snack and coffee bar incorporated (as in trans-Euro-pean expresses) for firstclass fares only. He said that the AucklandWellington exepresses had smacked of amateur administration tor far too many years. They were the butt of many a joke about the railway system. Today there was talk of spending £750,000 on new trains for it. What was needed instead was some realism.

Mr Lascelles hinted that the only thing being done by the railways to attract passengers was lip-service. If the department was serious with what it said in not making passenger services pay. and was therefore only interested in freight, it should drop the passeneger services as the carriages wore out. Certainly, a new £750,000 train would not be warranted.