RAILWAY MATTERS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXX, Issue 9143, 9 March 1893, Page 5

RAILWAY MATTERS.

THE NEW PLYMOUTH-WELLINGTON

"! ','■■ EXPRESS. >- ■ [»* TELEGRAPH.—OWN CORRESPONDENT.] '/ Wellington, ; Wednesday. The public mind bore is just now ocoupied with railway matters. The members of the Chamber of Commerce, reinforced by several influential citizens, have waited upon the Railway Commissioners and tho directors of the Manawatu Company, in the hope of facilitating an arrangement by which tho Government passenger through train to Taranaki and Napier may be despatched at 7.80 a.m., instead of 6.30, and the Manawatu should run over the Government new extension to To Aro station. The Railway Commissioners have already pronounced against taking the goods traffic to and from Te Aro station under present circumstances, but tho Hon. Mr. Soddon, as Minister of Public Works, insists that To Aro shall be a goods station. The new Bbafcion buildings aro nearly oom r pleted, very libtle remaining to be done except the construction of the overbridge to connect the platforms on either side of the lino. With regard to the question of through traffic. the Railway Commissioners are opposed to increasing the speed, seeing that there are a very large number of crossings to be passed. They had made proposals to the Manawatu Company in respect to the convenience of the passenger traffic, but the directors either declined or refused to negotiate. This evening a proposition is made that the through express trains on Tuesday and Friday shall cease to run, and the . time for the through trip bo extended to the second day. This through trip is entirely for the benefit of the northern disfricts, Auckland more especially, so that to withdraw the express will hardly recommend itself to commercial people and others residing north of Taranaki and Napier. The Post puts the matter as follows t-* " The question is whether the express twice a week through to New Plymouth is an institution worth preserving. After full inquiry and consideration we may say that we think ib could be abandoned not only withoub inconvenience, bub absolutely with considerable advantage to the travelling public. The journey, which commences in Wellington, at half-paab six a.m. and ends at New Plymouth at twenty minutes to ten p.m. is a terribly wearisome one, and its fatigues prevent many persons from attempting it. The inconveniences and difficulties of transshipment late at night at Waitara or New Plymouth to tho small steamers are very great, and Auckland is not reached, under the most favourable oircumstances, till late in the forenoon next day. Tho number of through passengers from Wellington does not, we believe, average a dozen a week, and it is in the assumed interest of these that the expross is run, and that of all the travellers to Hawko's Bay, or the* West Coast from Wellington on every other week day sacrificed. We can see no great necessity for accomplishing the overland journey between Wellington and New Plymouth in one day's run." Tho directors of the Manawatu Company say that any alteration of their time-table with a view to remedy the inconvenience complained of, would dislocate the whole of the other traffic. A correspondence has alto taken place between the Railway Coinmissioners and the Minister in regard to the former baking over tho Te Aro Station. The Commissioners have again protested against the proposal to make tho Te Aro Station a goods as well as a passenger Station. The present idea is to have the new extension open for the Easter holidays. Tho Minister has informed the Commissioners that he will have tho To Aro Station a goods station. This, it is said, will involve some further reclamation from Wellington Harbour, bub the extent of such reclamation is not indicated. Tho present position of matters is that tho Manawatu Company will consider the whole of tho mutters involved in a conference with tho Commissioners.