Fewer Sleeping Cars

Press, Volume CX, Issue 32382, 22 August 1970, Page 44

Fewer Sleeping Cars

(From Our Own Reporter) WELLINGTON, August 21. ' From December 1 one sleeping car would be withdrawn from each of the Friday and Sunday night express services on the Christchurch-Dun-edin-Invercargill line, the Minister of Railways (Mr Gordon) said today. “These sleeping cars,” the Minister said, “have never

been very well patronised, probably because of the relatively short distances involved and the number of alternative services available. “A recent survey over a period of five months showed that fewer than eight of the 16 berths were occupied on the average. Frequently the number of passengers on the steeping car was only four , or five.” Mr Gordon said first-class 1 and second-class passenger cars would continue to be provided on these trains, but a new scale of reduced first- : class fares would be intro- • duced.

The fares for first-class travel on these night trains from December 1 would be 8 per cent to 10 per cent below the present level. “I would hope,” he said, “that these reduced fares will encourage greater use of the first-class cars on these trains, which provide a convenient week-end service for people who wish to travel overnight “The very small proportion of passengers who use the present sleeping-car, however, makes it clear that there is no real demand for this type of accommodation on this route.” He said that when the new Southerner express train service was introduced between Christchurch and Invercargill from December the timings of some other trains on this route would be adjusted. The present 5.15 p.m. Sunday express from Dunedin to Invercargill would leave Dunedin earlier, at 4.45 pun., and would reach Invercargill at 9.30 p.m. The 6.25 p.m. InvercargillChristchurch overnight express on Fridays and Sundays would run about 20 minutes or more earlier throughout its journey. Its new departure times would be 6.5 p.m. from Invercargill and 10.30 p.m. instead of 10.50 p.m., from Dunedin. This train would be due in Christchurch at 6.20 a.m. Instead of 6.42 a.m.

The only other service affected would be the 5.35 p.m. Christchurch-Dunedin rail-car. This daily service would leave from December 1, at 5.50 p.m., Ashburton at 7.5 p.m. instead of 6.56 pun, and Tlmaru at 8.7 p.m. instead of 8.1 p.m. It would continue to reach Dunedin at 11.45 p.m. The new time of shr 55tnin from Christchurch to Dunedin was the first regularly scheduled by rail between these two cities of less than six hours, the Minister said.