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Press, 3 February 1979, Page 3

About 170 passengers travelled on the last Christchurch - Greymouth trip of the 1.50 a.m. railcar this morning, most of them trampers bound for a long week-end at Arthur’s Pass. The service will be replaced on Monday with a 6.40 p.m. Sun-day-to-Friday service, and a 7.20 p.m. service on Saturdays.

Shown above is Mr Dick Andrews loading the West Coast edition of “The Press” aboard the railcar at 1.40 a.m. yesterday.

The Inangahua County

Council at a special meeting this week decided to support objections made by Buller and South Westland residents to the timetable change. The council considers that any further erosion of services would further isolate the West Coast and make it harder to attract more people to the area. Persons joining the Railways Road Services feeder bus at Hokitika for Greymouth to link with the Christchurch-bound service will have to leave at

6.55 a.m. and arrive at Greymouth between 7.40 a.m. and 7.45 a.m. However, they will gain one benefit. The Newmans bus leaves Greymouth for Nelson at 7.45 a.m. This will enable passengers to make the connection to Nelson or to go on to the Picton-Wellington ferry. The Mayor of Hokitika (Mr W. A. Reynolds) said yesterday it was pleasing to see that a connecting service had been provided for the morning train to Christchurch, even though

it meant an early start from Hokitika. If it connected with the Newmans bus to Nelson, “so much the better.” “However, it is unfortunate that there is no connecting bus from the Christchurch - Greymouth rail service at night,” he said. Hokitika people wanted the train to run through to Hokitika instead of stopping at Greymouth, he said.