BRITISH RAILWAYS

Evening Post, Volume CIX, Issue 5, 7 January 1930, Page 3

BRITISH RAILWAYS

PASSENGERS AND REVENUE

Despite the enormous increase in passengers due to the introduction, of. cheap excursion ■, fares, .-.the four big-.railway groups are faced with a revenue problem. They are finding that, although the number of passengers has increased by millions, the receipts have dwindled, ■ reports the "Observer" (London). ' SirJqseph Stamp, president of the London, Midland, and Scottish. Kailway, has stated that if the big groups are to produce a profit they'will have to get a still larger number of passengers. . ■Commenting on this statement, an official of the. Kailway ' Companies'. Association stated that in the first six months of this year there were five million more passengers, compared with the corresponding period last year, yet the total receipts, were down by nearly £1,300,000.

"The railway companies have been trying hard to get more passengers—anvl they have succeeded," he .Said. "Butthey need even ,more.

"The day and half-day, excursions at cheap rates have proved enormously popular. There were 27,500,000 more : passengers on these excursions during the first six months of the year. But there was correspondingly a big drop in ordinary passengers.

"People who have hitherto been in the habit of spending a few days with friends are now apparently making shorter and more frequent visits by cheap day e3ounipii%-'