RAILWAY TRAFFIC

Manawatu Standard, Volume XLVI, Issue 26, 30 December 1925, Page 8

RAILWAY TRAFFIC

FIGURES FOR HOLIDAY SEASON, 400 PALMERSTONIANS FOR DUNEDIN. “The Christmas passenger traffic ha* been heavier than in any previous year during my term at Palmerston North,” stated the stationmaster, Mr J. J. O’Shea, to a ‘‘Standard reporter this morning when approached for information relative to the volume of business over the Christmas period. On several occasions of a late tnis feature of the present mid-summer holiday season has been commented upon. Railway traffic generally _has been exceptionally heavy, and the Palmerston North station, as the hub of the North Island system, experienced a very busy period. Year by year this junction presents an ammated scene night and day in the holiday season, and the need for a larger station with an “island” platform and other modern facilities was never more apparent than at present. , Even now, when the main rush is over, it is not an uncommon sight to see two trains docked on the one line at either end of the platform ready to set out in opposite directions, .while perhaps there are others about to steam out from the separate docks at the north and south ends. THE RACE TRAFFIC. It is difficult to effect numerical comparisons in all respects, but it will be of interest to note that tlie number of people carried from Palmerston North to the Awapuni racecourse during the three days’ meeting concluded yesterday was 3453—over 1000 per day —as compared with 3427 for the corresponding meeting of last year. Despite the press of business, said Mr O'Shea this morning, trains wer« "Yspaumed well on time —a statemenl confirmed by Air J. M. Johnston, secretary of the Manawatu Racing Club, when in conversation with a reporter during the forenoon. “We provided accomomdation for 2000 more goers than wo actually carried, Mr O’Shea observed, adding that any inconvenience occasioned by congestion of motor traffic could have been avoideA had the railway facilities been more freely availed of. “Why, the taxis pick up people from outside the railway station for the course 1 ho exclaimed. TRAVELLING EXHIBITIONWARDS Reference to Mr Carter, the official in charge of the booking office at tho station, elicited the information that approximately 400 people from Palmerston North had secured thiougn train and steamer tickets to the iSew Zealand and South Seas Exhibition at Dunedin. That, it may be mentioned in passing, means an outlay of over £2OOO. „ , , “Wliat class is most favoured by those proceeding to tho exhibition?, asked the newspaper representative. “The great majority favour secondclass passages on tho railway and saloon accommodation on the steamers,” was Mr Carter’s reply. He mentioned that, of the 400 from Palmerston North, only 109 purchased firstclass railway tickets. It would appear, therefore, that tho exhibition is attracting all classes of the public and not in any marked de- - _ gree the more- leisured or . moneyed'' holiday-makers. The demand for tiokets has eased off somewhat, but the total will probably assume very considerable proportions within another month or so. . 2000 TICKETS ISSUED PER DAY. For the week ended on December 26, Mr Carter informed the reporter, no less than 10,218 passenger tickets were accounted for at the Palmerston North railway station. That is -to say, they were either issued hero or at the immediate flag stations. Nearly all, however, were issued from Palmerston North. As that week began with a Sunday and included Christmas Day, when comparatively' few passages were secured locally, the issue of tickets on the remaining five days must have approached 2000 per day. The receipts for the week iu question were 180 in advance of the corresponding period last year.