EXTRA EXPRESS ON MAIN TRUNK.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1020, 9 January 1911, Page 4

EXTRA EXPRESS ON MAIN TRUNK.

""WOULD BE RUN. AT A LOSS/ 1 - {By Telegraph.—Special Correspondents Auckland, January 8. Great surprise and indignation were ex» pressed bv the public of Auckland when it became* known that the extra daily expresses, which had been .running between Auckland and Wellington during flie: holiday season, were to be discontinued. Tncss extra trains which have been running during the past three weeks have been exceedingly well patronised, and Jiave proved a great convenience to the holidaymaking public, and there is every reason to believe that if continued they would create a traffic for themselves, and would prove a paying proposition. Even the last of the morning expresses from Auckland, which left on -Friday, carried about 200 passengers, and there seems to be no sign of diminution in the number,travel- ' ling. The last of the extra trains from the south left Wellington on Friday.night. The holiday traffic is not by any means over yet, and it is anticipated that travellers will experience some difficulty in obtaining comfortable seats for a little time to come. There were about 200 pasr sehgers on the express which arrived from Wellington .on Friday, the ordinary express arriving from Wellington that morning carried from 450 to 500 passengers, and the' evening express from Auckland ' had a complement of about 350 passen-•' gers. Large numbers are still travelling to and from Botorua. The express from Auckland to Kotorua on Friday carried from 250 to 300 passengers, and tho incoming express brought from 450 to 500 people. . ■ Questioned as to the reason for the continuance of the extra express the Hop. J. A. Millar (Minister for Railways) said the traffio would not warrant its continuance, and ho was advised by his Departmental officers that it should not be run any longer. He had not the figures showing the earnings and cost of the train while it had been running, but he knew that'if the train were made a pcrmanenfc one there would be a loss on it for the vear. In replv to a further question Mr. Millar stated > that the Christchurch-In-vercargill express (which is run iu addition to the Christchurch-Dunedin express) did not pav for two months in the year, but taking'the train all the year round ifc returned a profit. ,