CHRISTMAS EYE BUSH

Evening Post, Volume CX, Issue 144, 16 December 1930, Page 10

CHRISTMAS EYE BUSH

LAST THORNDON TRAIN"

(To the Editor.) Sir, —Now that the holiday season is with us once again, and excursionists will soon be crowding the platforms of our railway stations, let us hope that the Railway Department will make a determined effort lo prevent a recurrence of the happenings of last year on the 11 p.m. train from Thorndon on Christmas Eve. One supposes that possession of a reserved seat ticket entitles one to a little consideration, but on this train many of the caniages were not carrying the usual indication letters, and while those who had taken tho trouble to secure a reserved seat ticket were endeavouring to locate then- respective places, a horde oE others who had not troubled to do so swarmed aboard the train and seized any seats in sight. After tho first rusli was over and the majority of seats occupied, porters passed the word along to take any seat vacant, but nevertheless many stood or rode for many weary miles in great discomfort while others lolled in seats to which they were not entitled. Now, Mr. Editor, it appears to the writer that a little organisation among the railwayinen would have averted the above-described confusion, and that those who paid an extra amount (however small) to ensure having a seat, would have been able to secure the degree of comfort their forethought entitled them to.—l am, etc., TRAVELLER.

Tho Railway Department, to which the above letter was referred, states that the occasion referred to by the writer was tho first on which an attempt to keep reservations on this train was made. It. had always been contended that it was impossible to reserve seats for this train, because so many of the cars of which it was comprised were out of the district for the day. There is always a great outgoing of passengers the previous night, and all that day, and the Department is dependent on the return of suburban trains to make up the 11 p.m. special. Last year there was not time to complete the numbering of the seats before the cars went out. The position this year is that instructions have been given to have the numbering of seats put in hand earlier, and it is anticipated that there will be no difficulty at all. Any cases of ineffective reservations that came under the observation of the Department last year were dealt with individually, and where the Department was unable to reserve a seat, a refund was made. It is pointed out that early reservation would assist the Department materially in allocating reservations, and, given this assistance, it is not anticipated that any dfficulty will be experienced on this occasion in arranging the allocation of reserved seats.