EXPRESSES IN NAME

Evening Post, Issue 86, 11 April 1936, Page 4

EXPRESSES IN NAME

BUT HARDLY IN SPEED

TRAIN AVERAGES ANALYSED

Visitors to the Dominion are almost invariably loud in their praises .of the variety and charm of New Zealand's scenery. Other features of the Dominion] also sometimes receivs praise, but the railways (whether under board or Government control) do not so often arouse enthusiasm. Many visitors come from countries in which broader gauge railways are in use and where trains are really fast; and when adversely criticising the New Zealand railways, as they sometimes have the temerity to do, they are apt to forget the narrowness of the gauge and the difficult country that the, lines traverse.

To discover, the average speed of New Zealand's express trains is an easy matter, using the data given in the' official railway guide. From that one sees that the Limited express between Wellington and Auckland covers the 426 miles.in 14 hours 25 minutes, which is approximately ah average speed of 30 miles an hour for the whole journey. The afternoon expresses between Wellington and Auckland take about two hours longer over the journey, and their average for the whole trip is about 25 miles an hour. The express from Wellington, to Napier averages nearly 28 miles an hour, and that to New Plymouth rather less.

The Auckland-Rotorua express averages a little under 30 miles an hour; the North . Auckland express about 23. miles an hour, and the express frpm Auckland to.Taneatua, via Tauranga, only a little over 20 miles an hour. The South Island expresses between Christchurch, Dunedin, arid Invercargill average for the whole trip a little less than 30 miles an hour, and that over relatively level country.

To some visitors to this country these expresses may seem slow compared with railway travelling in other countries. But on some of the branch lines real tardiness in travel may be experienced. For instance, the trains which daily dash between Picton and Blenheim, a distance of 18 miles only, invariably take over an hour to accomplish the journey. But that is fast travelling compared to the journey by train between Blackball and Greymouth. There the visitor desirous of the sensation of speed can find a train, which takes 2 hours and 20 minutes to cover 18 miles—a truly remarkable speed of a trifle under 8 miles an hour! The speed of trains oh several other branch lines averages 12 to 14 miles an hour, so if a. visitor happens to strike there perhaps criticism of the slowness of New Zealand trains is justified. The frequent stoppages, the1 long waits often necessary to allow the passage of a train in the opposite djrection (due to having only a single line), the "time for refreshments," the hills and the curves, all militate against fast times. On certain stretches of line, of course, the average speeds are greatly exceeded, and trains go as fast as is compatible with, safety on a narrowgauge railway. But on a long journey these bursts of speed seem only to accentuate the tardy progress made :at other times.. However, the time has just about come when those who object to the pace of New Zealand's trains can discard them and use aeroplanes instead. But those who prefer a worms-eye view of the scenery to a bird's-eye view will stick to the trains, which always get there in the end. ■