HOLIDAY TRAVELLERS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LVII, Issue 17663, 27 December 1920, Page 4

HOLIDAY TRAVELLERS.

CHRISTMAS TRAIN TRAFFIC. ALL RECORDS ECLIPSED. CROWDS POUR INTO CITY. I The railway traffic to and from Auckj land on Christmas Eve and Christmas Dav " I exceeded all records for holiday seasons , the inward trains being especially heavy. , It is estimated that during the past three days over 6500 passengers arrived in , Auckland by rail, while about 5000 left. . the city, these figures excluding suburban traffic. Even the returns of traffic on such i I exceptional occasions as the visit nf the | present Kinp; 2nd Queen to New Zealand . j in June, 1901, "American Seet week"' in I J August. 1908. and the visit of the Prince , j of Wales in April last have been eclipsed. 1 j The trains all arrived and departed to j schedule time. ; i All inward trains on Christmas Ev« . j carried the maximum load of passenger?. j Tlie first train to arrive, the 5.40 am. j express from PaJmerston North, carr'ed j 200 passengers; then came the regular I express from Wellington with 450; next j another Wellington train at 7.50 with j 650. In the afternoon the 2.55 Wellington 1 express brought 750; the Rotorua train !at 4.10 and the Thames express at 4.57 j each landed 400; the Taumaranui train at 1 4.52 had another 250, while the final Main ! Trunk express of the day also had a heavy > i load. j Outward traffic on Christmas Eve w*a I also exceptionally heavy. The Thames 1 express at 9.15 a.m. and the Rotorua ex I press at 10 a.m. each carried 500 passen"l gers: at 10.12 a.m. another 200 went bv j the Taumarunui train, while at 1 p.m. 350 left by the Wellington express. The evening expresses for Wellington at 7.10 and 7.40 p.m. each took 400, but the 8.40 p.m. ' express for Palmerston North was not greatly utilised. Suburban traffic on Christmas Eve was particularly heavy. Extra trains were • provided on both northern and southern lines in the evening, but even the increased accommodation was taxed to the ' utmost. The Kaipara expresses, both inward and outward, were also well patronised. Another succession of heavily-laden ex 1 presses arrived on the Main Trunk line on Christmas Day. The express from Palj merston North at 5.40 a.m. landed 300 I passengers, the 6.38 a,m. from Well in j:l ton 400, the 7.50 a.m. train from Welt lington 600, and the regular express in the afternoon another 400. The Rotorua _ express at 4.10 p.m. arrived with 400 passengers, while the Thames, Waihi. and 1 Cambridge express at 4.57 p.m.—the last 1 of the day—was exceptionally heavy, land- • ing about 500 passengers. There was a decided lull in the outward , traffic on Christmas Day. Both the I Thames and Rotorua expresses were t lightly loaded. r Yesterday morning the two expresses ' from Wellington, which arrived at 6.38 ' and 7.50, each carried 500 passengers. t Both outward-bound WeEington expresses . which left at 7.10 p.m. and 7.40" p.m. - were very heavy, all accommodation being & occupied.. The special Wellington express • at 8.40 p.m. carried about 340 of the j Arawa's passengers, who landed in the afternoon.