EXTRA HOLIDAY TRAINS

Manawatu Standard, Volume LXV, Issue 2, 30 November 1944, Page 5

EXTRA HOLIDAY TRAINS

TO MEET PEAK. TRAFFIC

(Press Assn.) WELLINGTON, Nov. 30 The Minister of Railways (Mr Semple) stated today that, to meet the needs of the general public, a certain number of extra trains will be run during the forthcoming holiday season. Express trains will run daily from December 18 to January 6 and a certain number of extra expresses will be run between the principal towns of the Dominion on days when peak traffic is anticipated, such as December 22. From December 2 seat reservations may be made 14 days ahead of the date of travel.

On January 8 the railways will revert to the restricted service now in operation. In addition to the trains mentioned, 52 special trains will be run for personnel on military leave. Mr Semple said the decision to increase travel facilities during the holidays had been made after a careful survey of the coal position. The coalmines would close during the holiday period, but open-cast mining would continue. The consumption of coal during the period while the mines were closed would be 33,000 tons, and it was anticipated that there would be approximately 16,000 tons on hand on January 15 and that was the minimum quantity required to provide services to meet the heavy demands for the transport of live-stock and other essential commodities from then onwards.

The Minister added that he regretted he was not able to provide a full train service, but to do so would paralyse the services in January, when the seasonal goods traffic was at its highest.