RUNANGA TRAINS

Greymouth Evening Star, 5 December 1929, Page 2

RUNANGA TRAINS

SERIES OF COMPLAINTS (To the Editor.) Sir, —For some *weeks past the regular passengers (daily) on the supposedly 4.50 p.m. train to Runanga have been complaining bitterly of the treatment meted out to them by the Railway Department and they have decided it is time these . complaints were brought to the notice of those in charge. Taking this week as an example of the solicitude the officers in charge have for our comfort, out of three days, on two of them it was thought fit to delay the tiain forty minutes. most of those concerned were drenched to the skin before they reached the train, and had to wait patiently or otherwise in a state of intensely damp discomfort for those interminable minutes to pass. Eventually these passengers arrived home somewhere in the vicinity of 6 p.ffi.'vwith their vitality sufficiently lowered to encourage all kinds of ’flu and other germs to attack them. Now, Sir, I ask you, do you think it is a fair proposition? The Department says “Support us,” and this we do, to be treated in the manner described. If such things happened occasionally, as for instance, when the Express is late, we say . nothing, having the sense to realise that Express passengers must make connection. No, Sir, it is the consistent disregard for time tables and for us that causes us to make public our feelings on the matter. Again, if the arrangement enabled the miners to arrive home sooner, the knowledge that they were benefiting would help us to forget our damp feet, tired bodies, weary brains, and empty stomachs. However, our delay means no gain to them, and we think that this very unsatisfactory state of af-

fairs should be altered as soon as possible. Some other arrangement should be made, and I would suggest the train be allowed to leave at 4.40 to make quite sure of reaching Runanga at five. If the time-table is not adhered to in future it will mean that some other more reliable means of travelling will have to be obtained. Before ending there is one more matter. Would it be possible for . a porter to run a duster occasionally over the carriage -seats? On a fine day especially these seats have a remarkable thickness of dust on them, and as we do like to keep our clothes decent for more than a day or two, I do not think that our coats or frocks should be called upon to do the work of the porter's duster. Summer is now with us, and as the festive season always sees a large increase in the number of passengers, I think'that for courtesy’s sake, if not from a desire to keep those passengers, the Department should see that the carriages are kept clean. Runanga people have as much pride in their appearance as any other people; consequently when they go to Greymouth they desire to be well dressed, but I ask you, who is going to wear good frocks to have them ruined by dusty and sometimes even filthy seats? All we desire is fair treatment, and it is this desire which has prompted these few words. Hoping some effort will be made to effect the necessary improvements.— Yours etc., FAIR PLAY, Runanga, December 4.

(To the Editor.) Sir, —For some time past the 4.50 p.m. train for Runanga has not been running to schedule time; of a few minutes’ delay one does not complain, but is there any necessity for a forty minutes’ delay? If the time of departure were advertised, one could arrange accordingly. One expects an occasional “wait,” but the patience of the daily passengers this week has been taxed to the utmost. On Monday and Wednesday nights the passengers were subjected to a delay of more than half-an-hour of damp discomfort. The Railway officials have deemed it expedient to alter the time-table on several occasions within the last few years. May I suggest that it again be altered? It is believed that 4.35 p.m. would be a suitable time, both for the express and .daily passengers (including the school children). Trusting better arrangements can be made in the near future. —I am, etc., SUFFERER.

(To the Editor.) Sir, —It is time that the attention of the Railway authorities is drawn to the irregularities in the train service between Greymouth and Dunollie, especally the train scheduled to leave Greymouth at 4.50 p.m., which of late has been leaving at 5.30 p.m.; indeed this seems to be becoming a practice as this delay has occurred three times since last Wednesday, and also on previous occasions. It is most inconvenient to the travelling public, and it is time a remedy was effected. The slogans of the Railway advertising authorities are -‘Travel by Rail,” “Support the People’s Railway,” etc., but the treatment meted out to the Runanga residents who endeavour to follow this advice is no encouragement for them to continue. We quite understand that the train may be late occasionally on express days, but on two Wednesdays, one last/week and one in the present week —not express days—the train, has been delayed until 5.30 p.m'. with no apparent reason. Then there is another grievance. On several occasions the 2.6 p.m Dunollie to Greymouth train draws up ’on the second line at Greymouth Riverside Station, while the first line is quite clear. It is quite a big step from the carriage to the ground, and elderly and weak people and those with young children experience difficulty in alighting from the train drawn up on the second line. At least two persons have had a fall through.this arrangement, and it is to be hoped that the Railway Management will take the matter in hand and see if something can be done to alter the present unsatisfactory state of affairs.— l am, etc.,

“A REGULAR PASSENGER.” (To the Editor.} Sir, —As a frequent traveller be-’ tween Greymouth and Runanga, there is room for complaint regarding the regular delay of the train scheduled to leave Greymouth at 4.50 p.m. daily. For months past this train was delayed occasionally to 5.30, but recently it has become a practice and has occurred three times within the last week. Recently a Railway official went through the train, and asked the passengers if it would be more convenient if the train left at 5.30 p.m. daily; • the answer was positively, no. This time apparently suits the Department, not the passengers, and if the Department I

would state definitely the time of departure it would be more convenient than the present casual method. I am, etc., “TRAVELLER.” STATIONMASTER’S REPLY.

When the foregoing complaints were submitted to Mr J. Fowler, stationmaster at Greymouth, he replied that the primary cause of the delay had been the very heavy traffic in coal from Dunollie and Rewanui recently, and, secondly, the fact that the train bringing the miners to Greymouth must be given preference. As an. instance of the heavy traffic, he stated that yesterday’s special trains, combined with the recent wet weather , which handicapped the staff, resulted in the coal special, which was due at Greymouth at 4.10 p.m., running late. On arrival at, Greymouth, the engine had to go along the wharf to secure coal and water, in readiness to haul the passenger train to Runanga. When the coal special arrived late, it naturally meant that the engine was not ready fox* the 4.50 p.m Runanga train on time. If that train could not be despatched before 5 p.m., it could not be allowed to leave, as it would intexfere with the running of the train bringing the miners back to Greymouth, and would hold them up for twenty minutes oi' more. If the miners were delayed complaints were immediately made by them to the General Manager. The instructions at Greymouth were to give the miners’ train preference, and the outgoing passenger train had consequently to be held up until the miners’ train was clear. If the coal special ran to time, and arrived at Greymouth at 4.10 p.m., no trouble would be experienced in despatching the passengei’ train at 4.50 p.m., but the Department could not achieve the impossible. It is contended that, in any case, the 4.50 p.m. train was seriously late in leaving only four times between November 11 and,December 4. ’ “ With reference to the complaint regarding the 2.6 p.m. train, Mi' Fowler stated that he had never heard of anyone falling in alighting from it. It was incorrect to say that the train drew up frequently on. the second line at the Riverside Station, although it might have been necessary for it to do so on rare occasions, when the main line was not available owing to unusual circumstances. As a matter of fact, if the train were pulled up-on the second line, shunting operations would be made more difficult.