HIGHER EXPENSES

Evening Post, Volume CXXVI, Issue 132, 1 December 1938, Page 10

HIGHER EXPENSES

COST OF OPERATION

INCREASE IN RECENT YEARS

A feature of the railways finance during the last few years has been the expansion in turnover and the increase in operating expenses. For instance, for the year ended March 31, 1936, the gross earnings of the railways were shown as £7,004,000, while the working expenses-- totalled £5,953,000. For the year ended March 31, 1938, the gross earnings had jumped to £8,634,000 and the working expenses had increased to £8,001,000. In the case of the former item this represents an increase of £1,630,000, while the working expenses are £2,048,000 higher. , . , Figures published last month showed that for the first 24 weeks of the current financial year the railways revenue amounted to £3,942,068, or £140,056 more than the gross revenue earned by the railways during the corresponding period in 1937. Expenditure totalled £3,975,126, which represents an increase of £357,348 on the 24 weeks of last year. For the four weeks ended September 17 there was a railway operating loss of £26,566. Gross revenue amounted to £632,752, as compared with £617,708 for the corresponding four weeks last year, an increase 'of £15,044. Expenditure amounted to £659,318, as against £604,278 last year, an increase of £55,040. There was a working profit of £13,430 for the corresponding four weeks last year.