RAILWAY TIME-TABLES

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 776, 28 March 1910, Page 9

RAILWAY TIME-TABLES

THE NEW SCHEDULE. ITS ADVANTAGES. • To some people, especially those who are not regular travellers, railway timetables aro like Chinese puzzles, and are viewed with horror accordingly. TII9 problem usually reaches its acme of perfection on holiday occasions, when a portion of the regular service is suspended. To wrestle successfully then with the running of the trains and their connections over soveral sections, it is necessary for an individual to have lod a pure and blameless life for many days beforehand, and then to tackle the job in. a room by himself, with a cold towel- round his head, and armed with several lead pencils, sheets of white paper, and a gag to. keep him from using language not recognised by a respectablo dictionary. . One casually wonders what sort of a time the officials who are responsible for tho manyfigured tabulations have, how long does it tako them to prepare the manuscript for the printer, and how many complete ■ time-table alterations do they compile before succumbing to the strain entailed. .•■'.'

With a view to simplifying the main portions of the. new service whioh will commence on' April 1, a Dominion.ropre-.] sentative has compiled the appended particulars: — The Department seems to have done its best to study the wishes of the public. The services between Wellington and Napier, Wellington and Now Plymouth and intermediate stations have been made much more convenient for business purposes, and. in addition, the trains in some cases have been speeded up. A special effort has been made to meet the wishes of Wellington provincial stock auctioneers and farmers regarding the regular stock sales, the principal of which are held at Feilding, Waipukurau, ■ Palmerston North, and Masterton. "It will be possible for farmers- under tho new schedule to travel from Featherston to Feilding and back in one day, and vice versa. Farmers generally are much inconvenienced owing to the fact thai; under the present service -they have, little time to attend'the Feilding stock sales. If one does hot go out to Feilding by tho early morning train one cannot reach there till-about 1.30 p.m. -." With.reference to long-distance travelling, it is noticeable that on and after April L Wairarapa passengers by the Wollington-Woodville train will bo able to connect with, the- Wellington-Auck-land express at Palmerston North. 1 Chambers of Commorce and the public generally have been asking for this connection since the opening of tho Mam Trunk line to Auckland. ' The hew change' will : mean that intending Wairarapa passengers for.Auckland can leave their homes in tho towns at a convenient hour, instead of tluvearly morning, as at present. Tho change will also give a chance for the traveller residing miles back from the railway line in tho Waira/apa and Bush districts to. get through to Auckland from almost any distance oh the coast in tho twenty-four hours. For instance, a resident at Ponga.roa'can. leave his home (40 miles from' 'the ! railway; lino) at about-6 a.m. in the coach, and connect \yith. tho "1.53 p.m. train north-1 wards at Pahiatua, which will take him on to Woodville, thence to Palm-1 ersfcm North, where ho will ijoin the Auckland express, and arrive at his destihation'a few'minutes before 7 o'clock the- next 'morning.' Similarly, a man ■ maycorae from 20 or 30 miles from Martinborongh,' and achieyo the same • object in! about the same time. It should be noted 'also that .Waira-; Tapa ' passengers "on .the WcllihglonWoodville 7.45 a.m. train, may- connect at Woodville with the Wellington-Na-pier express. .This convenience should bo greatly appreciated by the travelling public. -The service altogether seems to be very satisfactory'for the sub-termi-nal sections and- connections, while much'appears to have been done for tho •raialler towns; It'is a matter of regret, however, that, the Department 'annot see its ; way to reinstate the jarly :morning, fast.., passenger ..goods train-to the Wairarapa,; and .do some;hing of the same sort on the Hanaivatii line. If trains could leave Avellington for Manawatu -and Wairarapa jarly. in the,'morning, it would confer a Treat boon on the business people over all the areas, inasmuch as received correspondence could be answered in one day. It is to be trusted that the Department has not lost sight of this important fact. .• - . - . In connection'with the, new service, the appended, time-table ■between Wei- . lington< and the. principal: sub-terminal towns is of interest,-' as, showing the different speeds with'which the fastest mail and express trains accomplish their journeys. The time includes stop- * agCS - -■ '■- :" ': ''■■'; Up.' Down. Miles. H.M. H.M. W'gton-New Plymouth. 194. 12 10. 12 13 W'ston-Napier, via ifanawatu ... 199 ■ 10 8 932 W'irton-Napior, ■ via ,-.- ■ Wairarapa.,;....,. 211 •' 11 33. 11 33 W'Kton-Palmerston N.;' - "_ - via N.P.. express... 87 .3 57 3 46 W'gton-PalmerstonN., " ' , via' Napier'express 87 3 48 3 39 ■W'eton-Palmerston No ■'■■'.."' .vfa'Anck.- express ... 87 ' 3 30 3 37 W'gton-lfasterton' ... .66 3 53. 3 52 W'gton-Wanganui ... 150 7 11 7 22 W'gton-Ohaknneivia' ;....,.■ -'Auckland express...:-202 . 8 50 8 37 FURTHER PARTICULARS. WELLINGTON-NAPIER-NEW PLY- .... MOUTH SECTION. . Following aro further particulars of the running of the morning express and mail ■ trains between Wellington and New Plymouth, and Wellington and Napier, in connection with the new time-table which is to come into operation on April 1. Flag stations starred in tho time-table are not included in this statement ..-.'. WELLINGTON-'WOODVILLE-NAPIER (VIA MANAWATU). .-.-."/.'■ -.':..;.•'(UP.) :; ' ' .. : ' a- m - ; ■' Thorndon, dep; .'..... ••••- 9-J 0 , . Johnsonvilky dep* ' ••••••• '•■"•°y Paekakariki, dep 10.3b Otaki.dep. ........; : 11-20 Levin, dep. • n - oU p.m. Shannon, dep.' 12.11 Longburn, dep. ................. UAJ Palmerston'N., arr. 12.58 Palmerston N.„ dep 1.23 Ashkurst, dep. J.Sd Woodville, arr. j-f . Woodville, dep 2.40 Dannevirke, dep. •••• 0.d4 Makotnku, dep \-\& Ormondville, dep. • •■•• 4.19 Takapau, dep. • 4.48 Waipukurau, dep oua Waipawa, dop o.db Kaikora, dep • oAb To Ante, dep . <>-W Hastings, dep b.iS Farndon, dep. l-° Napier, arr. .'^° (DOWN.) a.m. Napier, den. '.. ••••• 8.50 Farndon; dep • ■{•?.. Hastings, dep. ..'• »•£ To Aute, dep ••••• 9-0' .Kaikora,'. dep. >■»■£>■ .;. ■ Waipawa, dop. in--Waipukurau, dep. 10.00 1 Tpkanau, dep. — —•— "■•«'

p.m. tfakotuku, dcp .- 12.9 Dannevirke, dep **-°° ft'oodville, arr 1.10 IVoodvillo, dep 1-22 kshhurst, dep 1-p^ Palmerston N., arr 2JO Palmerston N., dcp 2.43 Longburn, dep 2.q4 Shannon, dep 3.28 Levin, dep. ; "■•••■ 3 -°? Otaki. dep 4.21 Paekakariki, dep. 5.0 Johnsonville, dep. .: 5.58 Thorndon, arr. °M WELLINGTON-NEW PLYMOUTH (UP). a.m. Thorndon, dcp 7.45 Johnsonville, dep. ..' 8.10 Paekakariki dep 9.7 Otaki, dep. &-|| Levin, dep. }n'io Shannon, dep ltM° Longburn, dep }}'H Palmerston N., arr ll.og Palmerston N. dep. U..« p.m. Feilding, dcp. . 12.9 Halcombe, dep. 12-29 Greatford, dep. : 12-48 Marton, dep • j-* Turakina, dep. •■• IJJ Fordell dep 2.6 Aramoii'o, arr ••••• Aramoho, dep. (for Wanganni) •••■• 2.46 Wanganui, arr 2.56 Wanganui, ' dep. (for New Plymouth) 2.20 Aramoho, dep. . (for New Plymouth) , 2,45 Waitotara, dep.... • oM Waverley, dep •-. 4-14-Patea, dep. *■;» Hawera, dep. • f.dJ Eltham, dep. -.' o-lf Stratford, dep. 6.41 Inglewood, dep. ................ '-lo 'Leppertpn Junction, dep. ... <■<£. New Plymouth, arr. • 7.50 Waitara . (from Lepperton Junction), arr. .......... .B.o^ ■■!, TOKO BRANCH. ■ Stratford, dep. •• 6.55 Toko, dep." 7.22 Douglas, arr. '•*" On Wednesdays and Saturdays 'the n-ain will run through to Huiroa. _ Flag stations _ are not included m >he foregoing itineraries., Taranaki and. Wanganui district passengers for the Main Trunk line exoress northwards may stay an hour ind forty-four minutes at Wangamu, md then go on to Marton, whore they will have -another', stay of forty-six minutes, or they may go direct on to Marton, and wait two, hours . fifty minutes. The: express leaves Marton daily for Auckland at 4.51 p.m..

WELLINGTON-WOODVILLE-NAPIER : (VIA WAIRARAPA). '■.."" 'UP.' •, a.m. , Lamhto'n, dep. i '. 7.45 . . ... ,'. p.m. i Woodville, arr 2.20 Woodville, .dep. 2.40 . Napier, arr. •••• • 7.18 DOWN. . " a.m. : Napier, dep 8.00 p.m. . Woodville, arr, 1.15 - Woodville, dep. 1.20 Lumbton,. arr. 7.40