RAIL CARS.

Evening Star, Issue 22382, 4 July 1936, Page 14

RAIL CARS.

The principles of enterprise and sound judgment underlying the Otago Expansion League’s long-standing efforts to persuade the government tp establish the rail car system of transport in New Zealand are now receiving corroboration through the latest departmental developments. It cannot be doubted that the rail car has come to the Dominion to stay, for this is a country which, by reason of its limited population and factors, topographical and otherwise, that forbid a speeding up of existing steam ! expresses, ‘ is eminently suited to fast and mobile services such as can only be given on the railways by the Diesel car form of locomotion. The slowness of New Zealand trains, even of expresses, is a matter that is frequently referred to adversely by our own people as well as by overseas visitors, but it is difficult to see how the narrow gauge laid down to meet hilly conditions can ever permit faster times from station to station than now operate. In the meantime, moreover, it seems to be an economic impossibility to run trains that are practically non-stop between the various centres. The inauguration of rail cars should mean that an obvious want in the Dominion’s passenger transport facilities is to be satisfied in the most convenient manner possible. The tests made in the course of the Ministerial tour in the North Island this week prove that the rail car is both speedy and comfortable. No doubt much thought was required to design a car which would surmount the difficult grades and purves on New ( Zealand lines, and there is reason for satisfaction in the knowledge that the close study made of local requirements has met with complete success. Ihe Minister of Railways (the Hon. D. G. Sullivan) and the general manager (Mr G. H. Mackley) travelled in a car whose times in every instance easily lowered the fastest ever done _by express trains. On these occasions there may not have been so many stops as would have been the case if the vehicle had been running to a normal time-table, but, from information previously given out, it can be gathered that much time is to be saved on the regular passenger routes. For instance, the introduction of the cars will reduce the time between Wellington and Masterton from three hours forty minutes to about two hours fifteen minutes, a saving of one hour twentyfive minutes. Between Masterton and Palmerston North, by through service, the time will be reduced from three hours fifteen minutes to about two hours fifteen minutes. The institution of rail cars for the Invercargill-King-ston line has already been announced, and Mr Sullivan makes no secret of the fact that he hopes to see them all through New Zealand in the course of a year or two. There is, then, solid basis for the hope 'that New Zealand has embarked upon a new and much improved era in her railway history.