THE MEW TIME-TABLE.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1076, 15 March 1911, Page 4

THE MEW TIME-TABLE.

THE WAIRARAPA SECTION. MINISTERIAL STATEMENT. The Minister for Railways (the Hon. J. A. Millar) has announced his decision in regard to the new Wairarapa train service. Thero has been great dissatisfaction in the Wairarapa ever since the old time-table was altered, consequent upon the acquirement of the Manawatu line. Tho present concession, so far as it goes, is tho Minister's reply to the various deputations that have from time to time waited upon him. Tho following statement is contained in letters tho Minister has forwarded to tho chairman of the Masterton Chamber of Commerce, Mr. A. W. Hogg, M.P., and Mr. W. C; Buchanan, M.P. (Wairarapa) ;—

"With reference to the _ representations mado by the deputation from the Wairarapa district whicii waited on me recently respecting alterations to the Woodville-Wellington train service (says tho Minister), I hive the honour to inform you that after looking carefully into the matter 1 find there are serious objectiona to the proposal to connoct the Wairarana services with the down Auckland express at Palmerston North at 11.48 a.m.

Connecting wltn Auckland. "In tho first place it would bo necessary for the express to leave Auckland quite an hour earlier than at present, and it would reach Palmerston North at a time when there wero several other important trains arriving, and serious congestion of traffic, delay to trains, and inconvenience to the general travollinr public would inevitably result. On tho" 1 other hand, the delaying of th<r 11.48 a.m. Palmerston North-Woodville train (which now gives a connection between Palmerston North and the Wairarapa) until a later hour would result in passengers and mails from the \\airarapa district missing the south-bound ferry steamer at Wellington. Underthe present timo-tible, passengers from Auckland can proceed from Palmerston North at 5.30 p.m. and arrive at Feathcrston or intermediate stations the same night. "In order to comply with the request that the morning train from Masterton to Wellington should leave Masterton earlier than at present and that the afternoon train should return from Wcl- . lington leaving later than now, it would ; be necessary to abandon tho present morning train from Cross Creek to Woodville, or start it earlier than at present, thus necessitating corresponding alterations being made to the Wel-lington-Woodvillo mail train, whicii would require to leave cither considerably earlier or much later than now. An earlier start of the Cross Creek train would render that service entirely useless for the purpose of carrying'passengers. An earlier start of tho WellinntonWoodvillo mail would upsot tho running of tho workers' trains on tho suburban lines between Wellington and tho Upper Hutt, and tho mail train would have to stop at all intermediate stations between Wellington and tho Upper Hutt, otherwise residents along that portion of tho line would be deprived of the present opportunities of getting into tho Wairarapa district. There would, furthermore, be a tedious wait at. Woodvillo for such of tho passengers as were going to Palmerston North and Napier. Tho later running of the train would bo equally inconvenient and:involve heavy additional expense for working that portion of the lino between the Upper Hutt and the Summit.

"An earlier departure of the morning train from Woodville to Masterton will break the existing connection by which passengers leaving Palmerston North nt 7 a.m. and Dannevirko at G. 40 a.m. are able to journey into the Wairarapa district without a wait at Woodville. These connections' wero made in response'to tho strong representations of a deputation from the united.district which; waited on mo in regard to the matter .i little over a year ago.

South Wairarapa Service. "To give effect to the request that the morning train,,-to ; , .Woodvillo should be timed to leave Mastertoh earlier than' at present it will be necessary to discontinue the morning service between Cross Creek and Masterton. This train was laid on as a result of the strong and continuous representations made by settlers in tho South Wairarapa district extending over a period of several years. Tho Railway Department pointed out, at the tirao tho representations wore first made, and frequently afterwards, .that the passenger business from the South Wairarapa district to stations beyond Woodvillo was very small, and did not justify the running of a train from Fcathcrston to Masterton. Tho settlers in the South Wairarapa district, however, evinced such earnestness, in tho matter, and wore so strongly supported by representatives of tho surrounding districts, that the Department waived its objection, and established the present morning and evening mixed train service between Cross Creek and Masterton, thus giving them the through daily connection with Palmcrston North and Daivnovirke. Experience has shown that few passengers travel by this train. I have, however, since tho inauguration of the service, been frequently assured of its utility and great convenience to tho residents of tho South Wairarapa district. Under tho circumstances I have considerable hesitancy in acquiescing in the request of tho recent deputation, as it involves tho discontinuance of this servico and the consequent breaking of the existing train connections between tho South AVairarapa, Dannevirkc, and Palmcrston North. A Service.Declined. "With respect to the request that tho 4.45 a.m. goods train which previously ran between Wellington and Woodvillo, together with the return should bo re-established, I regret to find, on looking into the matter, that tho circumstances are not such as would warrant compliance with the request. The running of these trains would involve an expenditure of approximately £18,000 per annum, and would, be quite unjustifiable, having regard to the fact that tho existing train services are amply sufficient to meet tho requirements of the business.

"I havo looked fully into the matter of the running of special trains, which, it has been asserted, supplement the existing time-tablo trains, and find that such trains arc run intermittently, and that a considerable saving of train mileage is made as against the mileage that would bo run by establishing time-table trains on the lines suggested by tho deputation. Tima-tabla Details, "After having fully considered the question, and on the understanding that the deputation realises tho effect of the alterations they have suggested, and that the districts concerned have now abandoned the desire for the connections previously asked for on so many occasions, I propose to bring tho following time-table into operation in the Wairarapa district on April 1 nest, from which date tho running of the 5.25 a.m. Cross Crcck-Wootlville train will be cancelled, and in its stead a train will leave Masterton at G. 20 a.m., arriving Woodvillo 9.40 a.m., 'connecting at Woodvillo with the morning train from Dannevirke, which will arrive I'alniorston North at 11.5 a.m., instead of 11.25',a.m. c.s at present.

"Tlio 6.15 a.m. train Dannevirke to Palmcrston North, which connects with the 8.15 a.m. Woodville-Wairarapa servico and reaches Palmcrston North at 9.20 a.m., will be cancelled. In lieu thereof a train will leave Dannevirko

at 8.20 a.m., arriving Palmcrston North at 11.5 a.m. Passengers by the G. 20 train from Masterton will connect with this train at Woodvillc. "The present 8.15 a.m. WoodvilleWairarapa train, which mikes h connection with the 7 a.m. train from Palmcrston North'and tho G. 45 a.m. train from Dauucvirko will he cancelled, and in lien thereof a train will leave Woodvillc at G.lO a.m., running through tho Wairarapa district. "The train now leaving Palmcrston North at 6 a.m. will leave at 4.45 a.m. and connect at Woodvillc with the G.lO a.m. train from the Wairarana. Passengers from Palmcrston North who desire to travel into the Wairarana district will require to travel by tho 4.45 a.m. train instead of tho 7 a.m. train as at present, otherwise they will miss the connection with the southbound Woodvillc-Wairarana train, and will have a wait of five hours at Woodvillc. "The afternoon train from Wellington to Masterton will leave at 4.35 instead of 3.36 p.m., and will arrive at Masterton at D p.m., instead of 8 p.m. ns now. "I shall be, glad if you will take such steps as are necessary to make the proposed alterations and tho effect thereof known in the districts immediately concerned. I desire to again point out that by bringing into force the alterations outlined herein, and which are suggested as the outcome of the representations made by tho deputation, tho whole of tho existing close connections that previous deputations have pointed out were considered of vital importance to the Wairarana, Palmer'-ton North, and Damievirko districts have been abandoned, and it is impossible to frame a time-table that will "at one end the Bame time maintaii all the advantages of the existing services and give effect to the recent requests."