BETTER TRAIN SERVICES

New Zealand Herald, Volume LVI, Issue 17297, 22 October 1919, Page 8

BETTER TRAIN SERVICES

NORTH AUCKLAND LINE.

ME. McVILLY'S PROMISE-

REVISION OF TIME-TABLE.

[Br TELEGEAI H,

BEPOBTEB.J

WELLINGTON, Tuesday.

Improvements to the suburban service and the train services generally on the North Auckland line were urged upon the Prime Minister, in his, capacity as Minister for Railways, and .on the general manager, Mr. R. W. McVilly, this morning by the Hon. J. G. Coates (Kaipara) and Mr. C. J. Parr (Eden).

Mr. Parr, after stressing the necessity for "speeding-up" and improving the North Auckland suburban service, asked when Mr. Massey's promise that an officer would be sent to investigate would be carried out.

Mr. Coates suggested that the express train from north of Helensville should be enabled, by an alteration of the timetable, to , connect with the 3 p.m. train from Helensville southward.

Both the speakers urged the restoration of the pre-war express to Helensville.

Mr. McVilly, in answer to Mr. Parr, said an officer would leave for Auckland to-morrow to investigate the suburban service. He would be ready to meet the representatives of the districts concerned at the office of the district traffic manager on Friday, when, in company with the district officials, he would hear what they had to say. He would return to Wellington early next week, accompanied by the district traffic manager, and they would report to Mr. McVilly, »vho would then go into the whole question.

Mr. McVilly said he already had his time-table staff engaged in reconsidering the suburban services with a view to some improvements being effected. He hoped to introduce on the North Auckland suburban line early in December a time-table something akin to that in force prior to the war, and this would effect many improvements. The general manager promised Mr. Coates that the connection of the Northern express with the Helensville 3 o'clock train would be arranged. He said the readjustment of the time-table was an important matter, which could not be effected in a day. It would involve hard work to have it settled by the beginning of December, but this would be done. He had "no doubt it would effect a. decided improvement on the service from Auckland to RanganuL

ALL SERVICES BEING CONSIDERED.

HOUSING PROBLEM REMEDY. [BY TELEGRAPH.—PRESS ASSOCIATIOK.j WELLINGTON, Tuesday. Replying to a deputation which waited upon him to-day from the Onslow Progressive Association relative to railway matters, the Prim© Minister, Mr. W. F. Massey,' said the whole of the suburban services were under consideration, and were being revised. He agreed that one of the main remedies for the housing problem was an improved suburban railway service, but everything could not be done, at once. Officers of the Railway Department were working hard on the suburban service, and a new time-table would be put into operation on December 1. It was the policy of the Government and the Department to meet the requirements of the people. Prom his experience as a resident of Auckland and Wellington, he knew that the conditions and circumstances were constantly changing, and what might be good enough one year was not good enough the next year. The Department had to mot a with the times, and would do so, realising that the railways were the property of the people and were run to meet the people's needs.