SUBURBAN TRAINS.

Evening Post, Volume LXXIV, Issue 26, 30 July 1907, Page 5

SUBURBAN TRAINS.

AN INDICTMENT AND A REPLY. "The suburban train service has been something atrocious of late in reference to lateness and crawling along," said Councillor Nicholson at last night's mooting of the Petono Borough Council. The speaker wont on to say that one night recently a train dragged its weary way from Wellington to Pctone with the Westjnghousc brake on. lie had mado it his business to enquire into tho matter and found that the running shed in Wellingtpn was quite inadequately started. Only one engineer was on the staff there, and he was sweating his life out to keep his engines up to the standard, which he found it almost impossible to do. The engineer was constantly running round' the yard to get assistance from engineers in other departments to get urgent important work done. CounNicholson also complained that at times the early train from Petone did not connect with tho Manawatu train, with the result that serious inconvenience was caused tn peoplo who visaed to make the journey on the company's line. The indictmnnt mado by Councillor Nicholso.n was brought undsr the notice of the railway authorities to-day by a Post reporter, who asked whether the statements made at the Petone Council meeting were correct. The department denied that the running shed is understaffed. There are, it says two fitters and an apprentice in the ehed, and if more work comes in than they can copo with they are allowed to obtain assistance from the workshop at Petono. The General Manager states that he has received no report with reference to Councillor Nicholson's statement about a train travelling to Potone with tho Wcntinghouso brake on, and ho can hardly credit that such a thing did occur. He explained to our reporter that if a leak is discovered in the air pipe attached to any car or wagon, a '"cut out" can be made in a moment by simply turning a tap. The" air brake system would thus be thrown out of action so far as the car or wagon was concerned. The department does not admit that the trains arc not running to time. Tho timetable, it says, ia being adhered to very satisfactorily considering the disadvantages of a single line, and the percentage of break-downs is very small indeed.