OVERCROWDED TRAINS

Evening Post, Volume XCVII, Issue 103, 3 May 1919, Page 4

OVERCROWDED TRAINS

A COMPLAINT AND A REPLY,

A correspondent, "Look Ahead,'' writes complaining of a lack of accommodation oni trains on the day that the transports Tainui and R-aranga arrived. The Railway Department, as usual, ha says, ignored the position, and the result was disgraceful overcrowding of the afternoon train for the Wairarapa.. He adds :, "In some of the first-class carriages the scene was something like city trams at the "rush" hours, even women having to. stand, as well as soldiers, members of Parliament, and Government officers. As the train was about to leave a passenger was heard to appeal to the stationmasterfor an extra carriage, and he received the amazing reply : 'How could we get it back in time for the races?' The complaint of our correspondent was referred to the Railway Department, which makes the following reply : Tho EaOway Department always endeavours to provide for extra traffic, ' wbothsr arising from arrivals of transports or other cause. On the occasion in question, a number of first- class passengors arrived at tho last minute, when t>he. train was about due out. To hav<» attempted to add an extra fimfr-class ca? then would havo ca,uaed cKEsiderabta delay, thus delaying the inwarc mail at the crossing station, and perhu-ps ajfecting the connection with the sontheru ferry boat.' About half-a-dozer passengers were unable to obtain scats ia tha first smoker. The guard offered w 'find some of them seats in the.-first.'- nonsmoker, but they preferred to stay {•_> the smoker. There was also room to spari> in tho second-elites smoker or ncui-smck-<u\ Tho difficulty*-was at an. eau by the time tho suburban passengers iefi. the train at Lower Hut-t. All patjMigere had Beats leaving that station. :