“LIMITED" EXPRESS.

Hawera Star, Volume XLVIII, 2 December 1924, Page 5

“LIMITED" EXPRESS.

WELLINGTON-A UOKL AN D. MEETING PUBLIC CONVENIENCE. STATEMENT BY MINISTER, Hon. J. G. Coates (Minister of Railways) stated to a Wellington Post reporter that it -had now been decided to inaugurate the Limited Main Trunk 6erv^ces Horn Auckland and .Wellington as from the 15th December. expresses will leave Auckland and Wellington .at 7.10 o’clock each! even®x°6pt Saturdays, arriving at their destinations about 9.30 a,in. the following day. The “Limited” from Auckland replaces the present ordinary Main Trunk express during., the holiday season, and the ordinary express will leave Auckland half an hour later. The “Limited” Wellington will i-eplace the train that leaves Thorndon during the lidliciays at 8.35 p.m., the ordinary express nl 111 ", B'*' 8 '*' 12.45 p.m., as at present, ihe decision to run the “Limited” at night has been arrived at after very careful consideration, as the Minister was of the opinion that it would more satisfactorily meet the convenience of! the travelling public and enable busi-l ness men to travel between Auckland and Wellington and return with the! loss of only one working day. Further advantages of the night “Limited” are the splendid connections at junctions for the various districts? For instance the night “Limited” from Wellington can collect passengers from the afternoon Wairarapa train to Wellington. Ihe tram leaving Thorndon for Palmerston North at 5.55 p.m. can pick up passengers en route who may desire to join the “Limited’’ at Palmerston Connection is also made at Palmerston North with the evening trains in from the Wamarapa. and Hawke’s Bay. Op arrival at Frankton a more convenient connection is made with the morning trams to Thames and Rotorua enabling passengers to reach the latter station by lunch-time. The night “Limited” from Auckland has the same advantages, as passengers from Thames and Roterua. by the evening trains can join the “Limited” r rv ai Junction, and passenger® tor Hawkes Ray and Wairarapa can change at Palmerston North into the morning trains for those districts, ivaturally it will be necessary to give long-distance passengers precedence in booking for the “Limited” expresses, but ample time will be given in wbioh passengers may secure accommodation. Hi© t tains will be limited to nine coaches and one van.

Ovriwr to the proximity of the Christmas holidays, it is quite impossible to rearrange express services to provide a day exoress, but it has been, decided after the rush of traffic is over to endeavour to recast, the time-tables of the ordinary Main Trunk expresses providing for their departure at about 8 ?.m. from Wellington and Auckland, and reduc’nrr their running time from 18 to 16 hours.

Phis, if nraoticaWe. and the continuation of the ‘'Limited” is iu.stifmd bv the truffe, will mean that, there will be two expresses from Auckland pnd Wellington daily. ,