NEW ZEALAND RAILWAYS

Evening Star, Issue 21720, 15 May 1934, Page 13

NEW ZEALAND RAILWAYS

EFFICIENT SYSTEM OF TRANSPORT COMFORT, SAFETY. AND MODERATE CHARGES The New Zealand Government railway system has always been noted for reliability and safety, and, with the passing of the years, improvements in the passenger accommodation have taken place until, at the present time, the comforts afforded travellers have been brought thoroughly up to date. In view, probably, of the many difficult stretches of country through which the lines would have to run, the engineers who figured in the early history of the department deemed it advisable to lay down a narrow gauge track, and it is a distinct, credit to them and to those who have succeeded them that such an efficient service as that which exists to-day has been built up. It is significant, that many overseas tourists, people who are accustomed to luxurious railway travelling in older countries, have expressed themselves as being most favourably impressed with the comfort provided on the New Zealand system. There are many indications that utilisation of the railways is becoming more and more popular with the general public. It is encouraging to note that the total revenue for the past financial year was £6,331,935, and the expenditure £5,246,365, thus giving a net revenue of £1,085,570. This is the first year since 1929 that the net revenue has exceeded the million mark. The total revenue has increased from £6,034,403 in the previous financial year. The passenger revenue for the past financial year was £1,336,329, revealing an increase in £129,003 over the previous year. Also encouraging are the figures which show that the goods revenue has increased from £3,745,777 to £3,911,245. There are many industries in the dominion which are dependent for their existence on cheaptransport costs —a fact which seems to be winning increased recognition. As an employer of labour, the department looms up very largely in the public eye. The total staff employed, including those on works chargeable to capital, is now approximately 15,000, and there are signs that, with the increase in business that is expected, this figure will grow. Historically speaking, the railways have brought into being over a long span a transportation system which was calculated to develop and serve essential need for land transportation. Their systems reached practically every corner of the country and now embrace a network of Interdependent, main, subsidiary, and feeder lines. The cost of serving many points which neither originated nor received traffic in sufficient volume to make the service profitable was borne from the returns of the system as a whole, communities being developed which were solely, dependent on a permanent rail transportation service. No community beyond the smallest can easily do without rail freight service for incoming raw material and fuel and outgoing products, particularly products which must move considerable distances to their markets.

During the past few years the department has been more than ever alive to the desirability of developing the New Zealand tourist resorts, and, to that end, its publicity branch has been in close* touch with the principal organisations interested in the promotion of passenger transport. From this association various campaigns have been carried through with notable success. On© of the results of this effective policy has* been the improved facilities made available for visiting Waitomo Caves, Franz Josef Glacier, the Chateau Tongariro, Mount Cook, and Rotorua.