THROUGH TRAIN SERVICE.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 212, 1 June 1908, Page 3

THROUGH TRAIN SERVICE.

TIME-TABLE ARRANGEMENTS.

! TWO PROPOSALS. (BY TEfjECRArn.— HIEB3 ASSOCIATION.) ' Christchiiroh, May 30. The proposals in regard to an express service from one end of the Dominion to the other have been freely commented upon in Christchurch, and many opinions aro expressed by those who will be most closoly affected by the time-table that will be used when there is traffic over the North Island Main Trunk line. The Government apparently 'is considering two proposals. One deals with an express running between Auckland and Dunedin, and the other with an express beW'oon Auckland and luvercargill. One will give daylight running on the Trunk line, and the other night running. Under the first proposal, passengers will leave 'Auckland at G a.m. and reach Wellington at midnight, taking about 18 hours to traverse the North Island. The ferryboat will leave Wellington at 1 o'clock in tho morning,, and roach Lyttelton at noon next day. The passengers will catch the second express from Christchurch at 1 p.m., and willireach Dunedin at about 8.30 p.m. On tho up journey they will leave' Dunedin at 7 a.m.; reach Christchurch. about 4, p.m., leave in the steamer for Wellington at 5 p.m., reach Wellington at 4 or 5 a.m., leavo Wellington for Auckland at 6 a.m., and reach Auckland at midnight. ■ Under the second proposal, which includes luvercargill in the 'time-table, passengers will leave AucklAnd at 10 D.m. instead of 6 a.m. • Thoy will,reach Wellington at' 6 p.m. the following day; they will leave Wellington in the steamer at 7.30 p.m., reach Lyttelton at about 6.40' a.m. next day, catch tho 8 a.m. express at Christchurch, and go on to Difiiedin aud luvercargill as at present, arriving at the'latter place at 10.30 p.m. - •

The Government seems to-have a leaning towards the first proposal, as it will give' a daylight service in the North, and it will not necessitate tho use of sleeping-cars, which will cause extra expense. The general opinion held by commercial men in Christchurch seemed to.be expressed by Mr. A. Kayc, President of tho ■ Chamber of Commerco, when he was interviewed'by a I reporter. He said that lie did not think that the first proposal would be at all satisfactory. If' it r was carried out, the northern mails would not arrivo in Christchurch until 1 p.m. or 2 1 p.m., . which would be very inconvenient, and as the mail would loave for the north again at about 3.30 p.m. the same day, there would, not be time to reply bv it. The service would also bo inconvenient for passengers. . They .would arrive at Wellington at 4 or 5 o'clock in'the morning, catch a train at six, journey all day, and got to Auckland •at midnight, a most unreasonably.hour. The inconvenience would also 'bo very marked coming down by that service: passengers would reach WeK lington at midnight, and get on-to a steamer at 1 o'clock, in the morning. There would bo late cab fares, hotels would have to be kept open at late hours, and everybody apparently would bo put aboutr. Mr. Kaye feels strongly that a night sorvice through tho North Island will be much better than the othor proposal. He suggests that passengers might leavo Auckland at 9 p.m., reach Wellington at 5 p.m. next day, leavo Wellington at 6.30 p.m., reach Lyttelton at 0 a.m., leave Christchurch by the 8 a.m.: express, and get to Invercargill at 10.30 p.m. Flo says that the' journey botween Christchurch'and Dimedin could bo shortened to a • considerable oxtont by leaving out of \ tho service many of the small shopping-places. On the up journey the approximate timo-tablo would be: Leavo Invorcargill 7 a.m., reach Lyttelton 9 p.m., leavo Lyttelton 10 p.m., reach Wellington 10 a.m., leavo Wellington noon, roach Auckland 6.30 a.m. the following day." By this service a person would have the whole day to attend to business in Auckland, and would be ablo to leavo that city ou tho return journey the same night. All tlio arrivals would be at convenient hours, and'the mails would be : distributed, in Christchurch as at present; which suited the requirements of,, the. business,',community. In this case tho Government would h'avo to provido; sleep-ing-cars .on , tho Auckland and Wellington sorvico, but ho does not feol that the expenso. would be very great. If tile other proposal is • adopted, lie thinks observation cars will bo used, and' their running cost should not be .any greater than that of tho sleeping-cars. In! Australia extra fares aro charged for sleeping-cars, and no doubt the same principle will bo adopted here, and satisfactory arrangements could be made in .regard' to tho night staffs to work the trains, and arrangements might also be made for through services with tho early trains from Wellington. In all respects, ho said, tho second proposal,or a similar' one, leaving the South Island express servico practically, aa at' present, was tho best.' • '