NEW EXPRESS SERVICES

Manawatu Standard, Volume XLIV, Issue 1180, 1 December 1924, Page 12

NEW EXPRESS SERVICES

WELLINGTON TO AUCKLAND. '“LIMITED” TO RUN AT NIGHT. The Hon. J. G. Coates (Miiiistei 1 of Railways) stated on Saturday that it had now been decided to inaugurate the Limited Main Trunk express service from Auckland and Wellington as from 15th December. These expresses will leave Auckland and Wellington at 7.10 o’clock each evening except 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” from Wellington will replace the train that leaves Thorndon during the holidays at 8.135 p.m., the ordinary express leaving at 12.45 p.m., as at present. The 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 satisfactorily meet the convenience of the travelling public, and enable business men to travel between Auckland and Wellington and return with the lossol 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. The train 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 North. Connection is also made at Palmerston North with the evening trains in from the Wairarapa and Hawke’s Bay. On arrival at Frankton a more convenient connection is made with the morning trains 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 Rotorua by the evening trains can join the “Limited” at Frankton Junction, and passengers for Hawke’s Bay and Wairarapa can change at Palmerston North into the morning trains for those districts. Naturally it will he necessary to give long-distance passengers precedence in booking for.the “Limited” expresses, but ample time will be given in which passengers may secure accommodation. The trains will he limited to nine coaches and one van. Owing to the proximity to the Christmas holidays it is quite impossible to rearrange express services to provide a day express, 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 a.m. lrom Wellington and Auckland, and reducing their running time from 18 to 16 hours. This, if practicable, and the continuation of the “Limited” is justified by the traffic, will mean that there will be two expresses from Auckland and Wellington daily.