RAILCAR SERVICE

Greymouth Evening Star, 19 September 1946, Page 2

RAILCAR SERVICE

WEEKLY OTIRA-GREYMOUTH JOURNEY TRAVEL TIME REDUCED A better and faster method of travelling from their homes to Greymouth and return on market days, will be available to residents on the Midland line route to Otira as from next Wednesday. As from that day a return railcar service will be operated each Wednesday .between the two towns. At present the journey takes three and a-half hours on a mixed goods train, but by the new service the time will be reduced to less than two hours. During the war years, the inability of the Railways Department to obtain certain spare parts resulted jn the distances covered by the railcars being strictly limited and ofily essential services operated. A spare car had to be on hand at .all times and often breakdowns resulted in the service being taken over by steam train. This position has improved I considerably recently, however, and the number of railcars operating on the West Coast may now be used more extensively. A single-unit frailcar will leave Greymouth each Wednesday morning at 7.20, arriving at Otira at 9.10. The vehicle will leave for Greymouth at 9.45, and passengers will arrive at their destination at 11.31. The return service will leave at 4.8 p.m., arriving at Otira at 6.3, and the railcar will leave on its return to Greymouth at 6.35 p.m., arriving at 8.34. . At present travel by the mixed train is much more tedious. This train leaves Otira at 6.45 a.m. and reaches Greymouth at 9.50, It. l eav ®® Greymouth in the afternoon at 4..>0 and arrives at Otira at 8 p.m. Passengers by that time have been 13, t hours away from home on their shopping trip.