WELLINGTON-NAPIER EXPRESS

Dominion, Volume 18, Issue 270, 20 August 1925, Page 8

WELLINGTON-NAPIER EXPRESS

FAST RUNNING AND STOPS On the question of stopping the Wel-lington-Napier express trains at Otane, the Minister of Railways (the Hon. J. G. Coates) informed Sir George Hunter Waipawa) that.under the new service, in which a curtailment of the number of .slops was necessary in order to reduce running time, passengers from Wellington, leaving twenty-five minutes later than formerly, still reached Otane at the old time, notwithstanding their transfer to a stopping train at Waipawa. Similarly on the journey’ to Wellington passengers spent half an hour less in travelling. In the event of am- further readjustment of stopping places, Otane’s claim would receive every consideration. Sir George Hunter drew the Minister’s attention to the fact that Otane was an important station, being the third largest stock loading station in the North Island. The fact that the train did not stop was prejudicing the position of the settlers. He quite appreciated the desire of the Railway Department to facilitate the conveyance of through pasengers, but that, lie considered, was no reason why the settlers should be penalised.