RAILWAY TRAFFIC

Evening Post, Volume CXIII, Issue 35, 11 February 1927, Page 6

RAILWAY TRAFFIC

FEWER PASSENG£«6 DECLINE OF OVER A MILLION Approximately nine months' figures for the current financial year disclose that the number of passengers carried on the railways smee Ist April last is over a million less than the number carried in. the corresponding period in 1925----26. "With the exception of timber, satisfactory increases are shown, in the number of cattle, sheep, and pigs, and of other giods transported. The period taken officially for purposes of comparison is Ist April, 1926 to Bth January, 1927—283 days. The comparative figures for the corresponding period of the previous year cover 277 days. Passengers carried during the 1926----27 period totalled 7,656,359, as against 3,719,489 during the ghorter period in the previous year. The decrease of 1,063,130 comprised 174,570 first-class passengers and 611,794 second-class paiscngers. Season tickets were, gold up to Bth January last to the number of 438,357 —5659 less than in 1926. The increase in the number of cattle carried was 678,020, and in goods 93,432 tons, and the timber tonnage wm 72,----084 tons less. The working account shows a decline in the profit on the railways during the 1926 period as compared with 1925 amounting to about £50,000. The ievenue actually increased fro'm'£s,7B3,----686 in the 1925 period to £5,936,099 in 1926, while expenditure also increaged from £4,787,019 to £4,988,490. The profits were thus £947,509 and £996,----667 for the 1926 and 1925 periods respectively, a faliing-off of £49,158. ' With a view to co-ordinating the operations of the commercial, activities of the Department, a conference of the business agents of the Eailway Department was opened in Wellington yesterday by the Acting-Minister of Railways (the Hon. F. J. Bollegton).