RAILWAY RETROGRESSION.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLVIII, Issue 14855, 5 December 1911, Page 6

RAILWAY RETROGRESSION.

Among visible and undeniable e%. dence of incompetent administratis is that slowing down of North Islac} trains, which are too overloaded at I too under-engincd to keep the ;(o! J . time-table. To this mil's J)o"iadd€ the 'latest announcement orthe,;Baj i" way Department, which even durir J the holidays will not run a dayK|A:|||jM express from Auckland to : Wellington, but provides "two" trains _• j

primitive process of breaking the Sjfeght express into two parts, IP'starting the second section 15 ■"L toa after the first. We need fra "jj.ay that the second section oLrwise the "extra" trainruns Jf* considerably slower pace than ordinary train ; for it would not l> 6 natural for the Government to any strenuous attempt, to miniJS'the weariness "of the journey to 'Wellington. This " extra" train is feruled. to run only from December 25 to January 6, and should be compared by travellers with the true double service of the Christchurchpiin'cdin section, where both a. daily jjjd a nightly train run not only during the holidays, nor only during the summer, but, all the year round, ' The * North Island Main System returns a large annual profit; the ' South Island Main System shows a jirge annual deficit; yet the only excuse which Mr. Millar can offer for the' treatment of the Northern system is the extraordinary assumption that in a few years the Northern system will pay no better than the Southern. Meanwhile, however, passengers upon Northern lines have to put up with slower trains and insufficient service in order that unearned Bad superior facilities may be given jn jjjorc favoured districts at their expense.