N.Z. RAILWAYS COMPARED WITH AUSTRALIA’S

Grey River Argus, 11 October 1949, Page 7

N.Z. RAILWAYS COMPARED WITH AUSTRALIA’S

WELLINGTON, October 10. A new system of making reservations on New Zealand trains may be adopted in the principal cities of the Dominion. An indication to this effect was given to-day by the commercial manager of New Zealand Railways, Mr K. A. Wallace, on his return in the Wanganella after attending a conference of railway officers in Melbourne. Mr Wallace said he had found the Adelaide system of reservations most effective. Queueing for reservations was obviated by a system of handing each person a numbered ticket as he entered the reserved seat waiting room. Persons could accordingly wait comfortably until their number was called over the loudspeaker. Mr Wallace said he would be reporting to the general manager of railways, Mr F. W. Aickin, about the decisions reached by the conference, which had discussed “general policy matters’’. Mr Wallace said the Australian railways wer e experiencing shortages of staff, fuel and rolling-stock similar to New Zealand’s difficulties. He noted that the Australian railways were leaning towards the New Zealand type of centre-aisle carriages. Mr G. Fairburn, assistant-controller of railway stores, was New Zealand’s second delegate to the conference.