RAILWAY TRAFFIC

Evening Post, Volume CXVIII, Issue 33, 8 August 1934, Page 10

RAILWAY TRAFFIC

MORE PASSENGERS

YEAR'S OPERATIONS

THE SUBURBAN LINES

Increases in the number of passenger journeys, in passenger revenue, in passenger train miles, and in revenue per mile of line are recorded in the statement of the Railways Board presented to Parliament today. An analysis of the passenger traffic for 1934 with that of 1933 is as follows: — Passenger journeys— 1934. 1933. Variation. Number. Number. Number. P.c. Ordinary 7,511,340 6,870,570 -(-640,776 9.33 Season . 11,535,840 11,496,084 -f 39,756 0.35 ■ Total . 19,047,186 18,366,654 -{-650,532 3.71 Kevenue — ; £-, £ £ Ordinary 1,164,731 1,031,103 -f-,133,628 12.96 Season . 171,603 176,193 —i 4,590 2.61 Total . 1,336,334 1,207,296 -[-129,038 10.69 Passenger , tralnmlles . 4,550,559 4,348,767 +201,792 4.64 Revenue — ' Per" mile ofline . £411 £374 -f £37 9.89 TWO EASTER PERIODS. . "Standard faro revenue, which represents approximately 80 per cent, of tho ordinary passenger traffic, showed a continual decline from 1926 ±o 1933, but some improvement was shown for thb year ended March 31, 1934, when revenue returned to just below the 1932 level, principally as_tho result of two Easter holiday periods having fallen during 1934' as against none 'in 1933 and one-iii 1932," tho report states. MThe revenue for 1934 showed an in^ crease of £93,346 over 1933, but of this amount approximately £55,000 is attributable' to the: Easter holidays, leaving £38,346 (0ri4.6 per cent.) as the increase duo to additional traffic. Eliminating. Easter traffic, revenuo every four-weekly period of the year showed a slight rise- over that of the corresponding period of 1933, the increases 'ranging from 2.2 to 9.5 per Cent. . - "-' , "Suburban journeys showed an increase of approximately 8 per cent, over 1933 and the same increase over 1931, but revenue, while showing an increase of 4.4 per cent, over last year, declined by 9.2 per cent, as cpmpared with 1931. 'The decline from the 1931 revenue figure in faco> of the increased volume of. traffic is duo to fare concessions granted during the financial year ended March. 31, 1932, when suburban traffic reached its lowest level for the years

1926 to 1934. Revenuo from this class

of traffic: has shown a slight imprpvojnent during tho last two years, while the .number of journeys in 1934 was the- highest since the pre-depression year of. 1930. '' Revenue from day and special ex-

cursions totalled £168,353, an increase

of £37,217 (28.38 per cent.), compared with the previous year. The total passenger journoys under this heading amounted to 2,033,764, an increase or 230,618 journeys compared with tho previous year. "Although the prevailing economic conditions .have been adverse to the development of^ special day and week--end excursions passenger traffic, 'every "opportunity has been taken to promote this class of travel. --In addition to catering, for - all classes of special events, numerous day and weekend ex-

cursions to selected resorts and between the main centres of population have been organised, the results from which have been quite satisfactory.

. EXCURSIONS. « • "The following particulars of two long-distance excursions are given as indicating the potentialities of this class of business. The first of these two outings was run from Invcrcargill to Ch'ristchurch on the occasion of the Raiifurly Shield football match, Southland v. Canterbury. Three special trains were required to accommodate the 1118 excursionists, and the revenue amounted to £1483. The second excursion consisted of two special trains from Christchurch. to Queenstown on behalf of\the Corsair Social Club, and attracted 768 passengers, giving a revenue of .€1234. The total distance travelled by rail and lake steamer was approximately 850 miles. The time occupied in travelling'was about thirty-three hours, and/the transport arrangements allowed the. excursionists one complete day

at Queenstown. "The widespread public interest in }the Waitangi celebrations occasioned the travel' of a large number of people to Opua en route to'Waitangi. In all, a total of' 4218 passengers (principally Maoris) were conveyed by special and ordinary trains from various parts of the North Island. Eyerything possible

was done to facilitate the transport of

the visitors, and appreciative refer- « ence was made to the efficient manner in wfiich this big undertaking was carried out by the Department. . "The policy of issuing tickets at cheap fares for Saturday-to-Monday travel in certain of the more populous areas has been attended with a con- , siderable measure of success, and- the question of' extending the issue of such tickets to other suitable districts is engaging consideration. • "The revenue from season tickets amounted to £171,603, as compared with £176,193 the previous year, a decrease of £4590. Eighty-four per cent, of the decrease was under the heading of " all lines'' and sectional annual tickets, and of the decrease of £3867 in.this group official tickets issued to Government: Departments account for £3114. Workers' weekly tickets increased by 4550 and revenue by £863, the; improvement being fairly well maintained throughout the year." ' OTHER RECEIPTS. The carriage of parcels, luggage, and mails accounted for £281,889, a decrease of £1933 (0.68 per cent.). The . revenue from goods and livestock was £3,911,245, compared with £3,745,777 for the previous year, an increase of £165,468 (4.42 per cent.)