MANAWATU LINE. IMPROVED RAILWAY FACILITIES WANTED.

Evening Post, Volume LXXXIII, Issue 107, 6 May 1912, Page 8

MANAWATU LINE. IMPROVED RAILWAY FACILITIES WANTED.

A SYMPATHETIC REPLY. ■A number -of residents from Porinia and Tawa Flat waited on the Minister of Railways (the Hon. A. M. Myers) to-day to ask. that communication by rail to those districts should be improved. Mr. W. H. D. Bell, M.P., said the residents of the two districts had formed a strong Railway League. _ Th© league felt that the railway facilities could be greatly improved, and. haying a regard fcr what the Minister had said at Auckland, it was hoped they would have a sympathetic hearing. The first request was for a- workers train from Porirua in the morning- to connect with that leaving Johnfionville for the city at 7.10. A train at some hour between 6 and 8 p.m. from the city to Porirua- was also' asked for. It was recognised that an engine shed would be required at Porirua, but if the Department would consider the suggestion he thought the league was in a. position to guarantee interest on the working cost. Mr. Mungaven, vice-president of the league, said he did not think they were asking any more than they were justly entitled to. A train between 6 and 8 p.m. was an urgent necessity on Saturday , night. At present there was no train till after 11 p.m. Mr. Janes also spoke of the necessity for giving Porirua an early morning workers' service to the city. The want of the train in question had most certainly kept the district back. He knew of the case of two young girls, 17 years 1 of age, employed in the city, who had to walk from Tawa Flat to Johnsonville in order that they might catch the first train from there to tho city and reach their place of business in town. This necessitated getting up at 4 a.m. At present, on Saturday nights, there was no train taking passengers from Tawa Flat station to the city between 11.15 a.m. and 8.15 p.m. He suggested that the Napier mail train on Saturday nights only should be allowed to stop at Tawa Flat. When the Manawatu Company had the line the residents of Tawa Flat, had a train at 6.20 p.m. The Minister said he fully appreciated the importance of the "views placed before him. It was' quite clear that the time had arrived when thia matter should be given immediate attention. Personally, he desired to give every inducement, to , people to live in the suburbs, and especially in Wellington, ■where the congestion was very noticeable. The request for a train for workers was a most important one. It was his intention, as far as possible, and consistent with prudence, to make suburban traffic a feature of his administra tion — not only to give what was required, but to endeavour to induce people to. live in the suburbs. It had already been decided to run a train from PaekakaxUci at 5.50 in the morning. This would reach Wellington at 7.35 a.m. Then on Saturday a train would leave Paekakariki at 4.45, stopping at stations en. route, and arriving at Wellington at 6.22 p.m. He hoped to deal with the requests made by the deputation and others already made to him en bloc. The actual determination would be published in the newspapers. He did not say he could give all that was asked for, but ho hoped to be able to grant such increased facilities as would render the necessity c. suburban railway leagues unnecessary. It was mentioned by a member of tho deputation that in the last three years 68 building sections had been sold at Tawa Flat, but only three buyers took the risk of building their homes there o«-ing_ to the kick oi convenient railway fScilities. .WELLINGTON-PAEKAKARIKir SERVICE. With, reference to the representations that have been made regarding the train service on tho Manawatu line, it has been arranged to make the following alterations, when are in effect additional services t — The train -which leaves Wellington at 12.35 p.m. on Saturdays, and runs to Johnsonville only, will in future go through to Paekakaaiki, leaving Wellington at 12.35 and-arriving at Paekakariki at- 2.15 p.m., stopping where required to pick up and. set down passengers. The 6.25 p.m. train -which runs to Johnsonvillo only on Saturdays will be continued to Paekalcariki, at which station it will arrive at 8.15 p.m. A train 'will leave Paekakariki at 5.50 a.m., arriving at Wellington at 7.35 a.m. daily. On Saturdays only a train will leave Paekakariki at 4.45 p.m., arriving Wellington 6.22 p.m. (The train which now leaves Wellington for Paekakariki at 5.20 p.m. except on Saturdays will continue to run as at present. These alterations will come into effect on Ist June.