SUBURBAN TRAIN SERVICES

Evening Post, Volume CXXIX, Issue 22, 26 January 1940, Page 6

SUBURBAN TRAIN SERVICES

(To the Editor.)

Sir,—-I notice in your issue that Mr. G. H. Mackley, General Manager of Railways, in an interview, stated, inter alia, that in his opinion suburban passengers were well catered for as regards speed and convenience. If that is Mr. Mackley's opinion, it is certainly not that of a considerable number of Upper Hutt passengers, who are continually subjected to annoying delays in their ' hectic journey of one hour for the 20-odd miles between Wellington and Upper Hutt. Last Thursday, for instance, the 5.16 p.m. train from Wellington was delayed at various sidings en route in order to allow race trains to get back to Wellington with as little delay a& possible to their pleasure-seeking passengers, with no regard to the regular workers on the former, train, which finally arrived at Upper Hutt some 20 minutes late.

I submit, Sir, that racegoers should not expect to be rushed back to Wellington after a day at Trentham. They go for the day's outing, and a delay of half an hour or so. should not inconvenience them as it does the regular all-the-year-round passengers. Again, on Tuesday night the same train waited at Hay wards station for ten minutes to allow an engine with ume horse-trucks attached to clatter through. Is this catering for the coiv venience of passengers?

As regards speed, we ape celebrating our Centennial of progress, and yet 20 years ago or more trains between Upper Hutt and, Wellington took, an hour for the 20-mlle journey, the same as they do today.—l am, etc., i . BEGULAR TRAVELLER.