Train’s Late Departure

Press, Volume CIX, Issue 31908, 8 February 1969, Page 12

Train’s Late Departure

Sir, —Last Tuesday morning (28/1/69) I was one of 300 or so passengers delayed in Christchurch awaiting the departure of the Christchurch to Invercargill express. The scheduled time of departure is 8.40 a.m., we eventually got underway at 9.35 a.m. During the 55 minute wait no announcement of any kind was made to explain either the cause of, or the expected length of the delay. When will the Railways Department officials learn just a little of the essence of good public relations? Personal investigation of the delay revealed we were awaiting the arrival of the weekly newspaper “Truth” for dispatch to southern centres. Perhaps it was too embarrassing to explain the cause of the delay over the public address system? It would never do for the travelling public to gain an insight into railway / department priorities, for it is quite evident that carrying newspapers is more important to the railways department than the conveyance of passengers, even on passenger trains.—Yours, etc, D. L. A. TURNER. Alexandra, Jan. 31, 1969. [Mr A. D. Campbell, district traffic manager for the Railways Department, replies: “On Tuesday, January 28, the limited express to Invercargill departed Christchurch at 9.35 a.m. which is 55 minutes late. Parcels, newspapers and passengers' luggage is conveyed from Wellington to Lyttelton in containers on the ferry and on this date there was an exceptionally large quantity. The transport from Lyttelton and the loading of this traffic on to the train was the cause of the late departure. Your correspondent is not correct however in stating that no announcement regarding the delay was made as this was done several times (at least 3) on the public address system between the schedule and actual depaftture times of the train. A number of people have verified this.”]