EASTER RAILWAY TRAFFIC

Hawera Star, Volume LIV, 20 April 1935, Page 5

EASTER RAILWAY TRAFFIC

RETURNS CONSTITUTE RECORD. EXPRESSES WELL PATRONISED. A record Easter as far as Taranaki is concerned is reported by the Railway Department. No fewer than nine Auckland ' and Wellington expresses left or arrived at New. Plymouth on Thursday and yesterday, and all were heavily headed and carried extra cars. ‘

Thursday’s southbound express from New Plymouth had eight cars and bore 130 passengers' on departure, but the number increased to 200 at Hawcra. t The express yesterday was-of-normal size, with an unusual amount of short distance . traffic. Thursday’s express from Wellington carried 340 passengers leaving Marton and 252 leaving Hawera, and the tram, consisting of nine ears, five more than usual, drew into New Plymouth an hour late with 200 ' travellers. East night’s train was also well patronised and consisted of eight cars.

Palmerston North was made the centre of.a system of night expresses from Napier, New Plymouth and Wellington. Two expresses, one each for. Napier and New Plymouth, left Wellington after 11 on Thursday night, meeting at Palmerston North Welling-ton-bound trains from the Hawke’s Bay and Taranaki centres. The train from New Plymouth left at 8 p.m., consisting of nine cars, and carried 62 passengers from New Plymouth and 167 from Hawera. The train from Wellington was due at .New. Plymouth at 11 but did not arrive till 12.45, bringing IS4 passengers to Taranaki, 88 of whom came to New Plymouth. Auckland expresses Avere well pat- ■ ronised, a special leaving New Plymouth at 10.30 ,on Thursday night running through-to Auckland with 11 cars. There were 125 passengers from New Plymouth, mostly for Frankton and - Auckland, and over 300 were aboard leaving Stratford. The ordinary express last night carried the usual number of passengers, although of impressive size because of empty cars being returned north. It was combined with the Main Trunk express at Taumarunui as usual.

■ The most successful express was the Atickland-New- Plymouth train, that ran on Thursday /night. Usually comprising a section of the limited express at 7.10 p.m. on Thursday night, the Taranaki connection ran separately. A train of 14 cars left Auckland at 10 p.m., arriving at New Plymouth at 10.45 a.in. yesterday. The train left Auckland with 207 passengers and Frankton with 316, arriving at Stratford with 360 passengers and at New Plymouth with 152.