THE NORTH TRAIN.

Lyttelton Times, Volume XCV, Issue 10920, 31 March 1896, Page 6

THE NORTH TRAIN.

TO THE EDITOR. Sir, —We have of late heard something of the delay of the north train, but it does not seem that the remedy is at hand. Indeed, so long as the residents on this lino allow it to be treated as a branch instead of part of the main line, we shall have to submit to the present running. To residents in the country between say Eangiora and Amberley, the trip to town for the next six months is only undertaken from necessity, entailing an absence of about twelve hours, some four hours out of this jbeing spent in the railway • journey of twenty-five miles. Small wonder that so many prefer to drive! Cur’s • are all mixed trains, and this in spite of a goods train to Christchurch every morning, and up every evening ,to Kaiapoi and Eangiora alternately. Why then should the morning and evening trains be delayed with goods traffic between Christchurch and Eangiora ? The o'ther cause of delay is the absence of station-masters (there are only four beyond Eangiora), so that the guard has an immense amount; to attend to, and ought to be provided with an assistant. Even the present time-table is not adhered to. It is high time that the residents took up the matter in earnest by requesting the Minister of Railways to inquire into it.—l am, &c., *PBO BONO PUBLICO.