New Rail Charges May Bring £1.6m More

Press, Volume CIII, Issue 30536, 3 September 1964, Page 1

New Rail Charges May Bring £1.6m More

(From Our Own Reporter)

WELLINGTON, September 1.

The revised railway fares and rates are expected to increase railway revenue by about £1,600,000 in a full year. The increases will comprise increases of £1,300,000 in freight charges, £200,000 in suburban passenger fares and £lOO,OOO in longer passenger route charges.

In the last financial year, the department showed a working profit of £538,782, but the largest single item in this was the £535,060 profit on the operation of the rail-ferry, Aramoana.

Interest charges amounting to £6,881,442 were remitted so that to pay interest charges and still make a profit the department would have to produce additional revenue of approximately £6,500,000 a year. Details of the increased rail charges from September 13 were announced today by the Minister of Railways (Mr McAlpine). They show a rise of about 5 per cent in long distance passenger fares, and between 20 and 30 per cent for suburban concession and season tickets. Goods charges also rise but there is no alteration in coal conveyance rates or Aramoana charges.

The railway operational account showed a loss of £149,416.

Basic meal prices will rise 6d at refreshment and dining rooms. Rest Of Year Mr McAlpine said it was estimated the new rates would produce about £650,000 extra during the rest of the financial year and the suburban fares about £200,000 over a full year. But there would still be a deficit of about £BOO,OOO a year in suburban operations. Mr McAlpine said examples of new fares, old fares shown in brackets, are:— Auckland-Wellington.—First single 93s (88s 6d); second class single 64s (61s); first class return £8 14s (£8 6s); second class return £5 17s 6d (£5 12s) Christchurch • Dunedin.— First class single 51s (495), second class single 35s <33s 6d); first class return 95s (91s), second class return 64s 6d (61s 6d).

There would be no increase in sleeping berth or luggage charges, Mr McAlpine said. With a few minor exceptions, the prices of ordinary suburban single journey tickets are unchanged, but the prices of 10-trip concession tickets and season tickets are raised by varying amounts averaging about 20 per cent in some cases and 30 per cent in others. Prices of season tickets for people under 21 would remain at two-thirds of the prices of ordinary season tickets, Mr McAlpine said. Refreshments He said refreshment room and dining room charges would be increased on a few items such as buns, pies, tea and coffee. Basic meal prices will rise by 6d and increases on some individual items will range from Id to 3d.

A new scale of parcels and goods charges had been drawn up, mainly with the object of obtaining a more adequate return from small lots of goods, short haul traffic, and from lightly loaded waggons, Mr McAlpine said. The new charges would generally be only about 2J per cent higher than at present.