EXPRESS TIME-TABLE

Evening Post, Volume CXV, Issue 68, 22 March 1933, Page 8

EXPRESS TIME-TABLE

DEPARTURE AT 3 P.M. ?

Mr. H. H. Sterling, chairman of the Government Railways Board, in a statement ,to the Press today indicated that .the Department had under .consideration the* question of altering the departure time of the ordinary express from "Wellington to Auckland from 2 p.m. to 3 p.m. Mr. Sterling said that it had. been represented that the present time pf arrival in Auckland was unduly early, and that from a business man's point of view the hour from between two o'clock and three o'clock in Wellington would be .much, more valuable than the early hour travellers obtained in Auckland.

In tho timetable orginally fixed, the alrival time at Auckland had largely been settled by working conditions connected with the old Auckland station, as the facilities at that station required the express to be removed from the platform before the morning suburban traffic commenced to arrive, and working of a single line in the Auckland suburban area made it practically impossible to work the express through on the later timetable.

The completion of the new station at Auckland, and the carrying of the double line southward as far as Papakura, had materially altered the conditions in this regard, and the Depart^ ment was now able to deal with the train at a much later tinio than previously. The matter had beei investigated, and it appeared ■'hat-it would be possible for the train x to leave Wellington at 3 p.m. and arrive in Auckland some time between 7 a.m. and 7.30 a.m. The ordinary express would then leave Auckland and Wellington at the same time.

Mr. Sterling said that up to the present stage the matter had been only tentatively considered, but he wished the suggestion for the alteration to be made publicly known, so that persons or bodies interested might give consideration to the matter and make representations to the Department, if the^ desired to do so. .