RAILWAY EXCURSION TRAINS.

Evening Star, Issue 10783, 18 November 1898, Page 2

RAILWAY EXCURSION TRAINS.

A deputation of a representative character waited upon Mr Arthur, railway traffic manager, to-day, to urge Hie desirability - f running cheap Saturday and Monday excursion trains ou the North line during the scunner months. The deputation presented a petition asking that arrangements he made by which the districts between Dunedin and Palmer stou might he more fully availed of by seaside visitors during the summer months. T t was pointed out that the present running of the trains was unsuitable for this purpose, and the petitioners asked that an alteration be made so that the 6.25 a.m. train from Palmerston might be enabled to reach Dunedin at nine, o’clock on Monday mornings, and that a passenger train be put on to leave Dunedin on Saturday’afternoons during the summer at, say, 1.15 or 1.30. Tf these requests were granted, and if fourtrip Saturday to Monday tickets at holiday fares were issued, the petitioners were sure that the department would ere long find tho traffic sufficient to warrant the running of special Saturday-Monday seaside trains. The petition was signed by 160 residents of Dunedin, who guaranteed to travel if the concessions asked for were granted. Amongst those who signed were several who would take their families (numbering in the aggregate about 180) to one of the many picturesque summer resorts lying between Po v t Chalmers and Palmerston, and, as demonstrating that the alteration iu the train service would not be regarded unfavorably 1 y ucuntry people, the petition had been signed by 163 persbns resident along the line. It was stated that all the Dunedin signatures were obtained casually by two or three persons, and that, had a regular canvass been made, no doubt hundreds of additional names would have been secured. They had been unable to canvass amongst young men who do not play cricket, ana of whom numbers might be expected to establish summer camps if able to travel chsuplv, and reach camp and work at a reasonable hour; nor had they been able to canvass more than a few of the large number of trout fishers and shootists who would undoubtedly avail themselves of the suggested conveniences. At present the late departure of the trains North on Saturdays and the impossibility of getting back to town before a quarter to ten on Monday morning completely barred employes from availing themselves of the seaside resorts on the North line. Mr Arthur received the deputation with his customary courtesy, and, after having heard all they had to sa; v in support of the request, he promised that the matter would bo fully considered, and a reply forwarded later on.