RAILWAY MANAGEMENT?

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 508, 15 May 1909, Page 13

RAILWAY MANAGEMENT?

Sir, —Tho train which'.leaves Wellington for l'ahnerston North daily : at 0.35 a.m. reaches .that placo at 4.5 p.m., 1 thus taking 7 hours and 25 minutes to travel 87 miles. This is tho manner in,which this remarkableresult is achieved: The': train, arriving at .-Levin gees on to a siding t'hero, and awaits for some little time the arrival of a down train from'Palmerston at 1.25. It'tlien resumes its journey .'north-wards,-and on arrival at Shannon waits thoro 50 minutes to, an hour, so that the Auckland express down and the samo train up from Wellington/may pass thero. After this.hour of woitiiijg.it journeys on to, Longburn, where 'it is ,again detained any time from 20 .to-30 minutes.so that tho 3.40 mail from Palmerston may, pass it there. Thereafter rt : continues. its .weary! way.,' arriving at'Palmerston sometimes, as on thb Bth instant, at 4.30 p.m. v ; • •This marvellous pieco of management renders the engine-driver, fireman, and- two ticket collectors of the train absolutely idlo for the hours mentioned, equal to about 40 days in each year, if not more,'to say nothing of. the coal burnt in waste. I wonder what an expert railway manager would say to this' useless expenditure of money.—l am, etc., ; '- • ; -' ' ; , • - TRAVELLER. • May 12. . \