Railways Handle Heavy Holiday traffic

Northern Advocate, 3 January 1939, Page 3

Railways Handle Heavy Holiday traffic

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Heavy traffic continues on Northland railways following the New Year holidays. . ’ .• v. OhCe the Christmas ruin was over, the number of people travelling last week was only slightly above normal. The New Year, however, has again brought intensive traffic. Saturday saw a fah'ly large number Of people travelling, but it was possible tor [handle 'these with the ordfriary facilities..or v . ; 1;;.; •: - ' With i - . large numbers of holidaymakers returning " to r their homes, coupled with the attraction of races at Auckland, r however,* the expresses were taxed to capacity yesterday. -" Both north and south-bound trains between Auckland and Opua required two engines each to cope with the load. " When the express from Auckland pulled into Whangarei station, it was carrying 440 passengers. The majority of people were travelling between Auckland and Whangarei, and demands on the rail service were not so intense north of Whangarei. Passenger traffic today has been particularly heavy, and similar conditions are anticipated tomorrow. Additional expresses ran in both directions between Auckland and Whangarei today, and these arrangements also hold good for tomorrow. The extra express which left for Auckland at 11.15 this morning carried a fairly large complement of passengers. Each of the normal expresses was double-headed, and on the southbound train an extra car was requisitioned at Otiria Junction, while three more cars were added before the train left Whangarei.