RAILWAY STOPS

Press, Volume CVIII, Issue 31659, 20 April 1968, Page 7

RAILWAY STOPS

Tramping Club Request The Christchurch Tramping Club will approach the Railways Department to have official stopping points and some sort of shelter and platform at Bealey Bridge, five miles south of Arthur’s Pass, and at Mount White bridge, about four miles from Cass. This was decided at the club's annual meeting this week. A request by the club in April last year for stations at these places was declined by the Railways Department as not being profitable. The Arthur's Pass National Park Board had supported the proposal. At present tramping party members may stop at and get on at these places only if arrangements are made. “It seems ridiculous that so many trips are made by various clubs to these places and that trampers and mountaineers cannirt get on or off without bother,” said the president (Mr K. Bartram). “There must be hundreds who have got off the rail-car at some unearthly hour of the morning, have had to drop 10 feet to the ground and have landed with their heavy packs on top of them. “All the department has to do is to bulldoze a landing and put up a rough shed for shelter. The department is meant to be trying to encourage more rail passengers,” he said.