KAIPARA TRAINS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLV, Issue 13839, 27 August 1908, Page 5

KAIPARA TRAINS.

SLOW AND TEDIOUS. EASTER SERVICE ADVOCATED [BV TKT.KCRArH.— SPECIAL CORRKSPONPEKT,] Wellington , Wednesday. Me. worth v asked the Minister for Railways to-day, whether he would, further consider the advisability of increasing the speed of the train service on the Auek- , land-Keknsville railway, and review the reply given to a. previous question on this subject, which ho appeared to have entirely misunderstood? The Minister: The time-table of the Auckland-Helenaville railway has already received the fullest • consideration, and I regret hat. without omitting some of the stopping places, J cannot, see my way to make, any alteration in the direction of increasing the speed of the trains now running on that line. The previous question was fully understood, and the investigations that were made into the matter showed conclusively that the statements iegarding the waste of time and the stick in gup of the trails on the road were not justified.

Mr. Stall worthy said that there was a great deal of difference in the speed of trains going north and south from Auckland. The total time taken to do the 68 miles on the Kaipara line was 5| hours, and the trip had been described as "the slowest and most tedious in the Dominion.'' In the 58 miies' journey from Auckland to Helensville, the train had been known to occupy as much as 70 minutes in stoppages. Before it could get up a hill the train also had to sometimes run. back in order to make a rush at the hill. He had personally known that to be done on two or three occasions. He had also received a complaint as to the running of the trains on this line during Fleet Week. It. was stated that the train by which the person complaining had travelled had been drawn by only one engine, but other smaller trains which had been passed at Newmarket had been drawn by two engines. The train "crawled" through the tunnel, and nearly stopped inside, with the result that the passengers wore nearly stifled with smoke. At Swanson the train had to make a rush to get round a curve, whilst at Wa.itakerei it had been necessary to divide the train into two divisions. Mr. Stall-worthy thought that one of the three trains might be made a goods train, and that the speed of the two others might be accelerated.

Mr. Bollard endorsed the remarks of Mr. Stallworthy, and suggested that the speed of at least one train might be increased.

The Minister for Railways (Mr. HallJones) said that in the 68 miles of the line in question there were no fewer than 32 stopping places, and this fact, of course, militated against speed. The suggestion, however, that the speed of one of the trains might be increased would receive consideration.