AUCKLAND STATION BUSY

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXI, Issue 18635, 29 April 1924, Page 8

AUCKLAND STATION BUSY

HEAVY PASSENGER TRAINS. NORTH AND SOUTH LINES. FRANKTON SERVICE OPENED lAN EXTENSION to-morrow. About 5500 passengers were carried on . the 18 trains run in the Auckland district | yesterday. Of these more, than twothirds travelled on the southern line. The j trains were despatched and arrived very ! close to schedule time and without incident of any kind. It is expected that the unqualified success of the service will attract much greater patronage to-day. The Auckland station had again taken almost its normal aspect. Barricades were •rone from exits and entrances, the station and platforms were open to anyone who might enter,# even the bookstall had token down its shunters. The usual flock of loungers occupied the station seats, while people hurried to and from 'departing and an iv ing trains. . The 6.30 a.m. train to Papakura carried few passengers, but was well loaded on it« return at 9.5. The 7.10 a.m. to Papatoetoe carried a large contingent of workers for Southdown, West field and Otahuhu, and returned a packed train, bringing over 500 workers into town before 9 a.m. The afternoon trains to the southern suburbs, each of 12 carriages, wore well patronised, and again returned with workers from the industrial outskirts. The first train from Frankton for n week brought 350 passengers to Auckland at noon, many having been gathered at wayside stations. When the eight carriages were taken out again shortly after 1 p.m. there were 300 travelling" from Auckland, and a large number was added at Newmarket. Besides the two vans carrying luggage, parcels and mails, there was a refrigerated van in front loaded with flour. On the Kaipara line four return trains were run from Newmarket to Henderson. All were fairlv well patronised, the evening train to Henderson being filled with workers. About 1000 passengers ""were carried throughout the day. The time-table for to-day includes the ' same number of trains as yesterday. The ; Frankton service has been rearranged, however. The Railway Department expects to extend suburban services to-morrow and to run goods trains to more distant centres for the carriage of necessities. A fair deal of interest was displayed by the public in the running of yesterday's trains. There was the usual concourse at the Breakwater Road, and when the Frankton train was due to leave, being the lunch hour, the numbers must have reached several hundreds. There was no demonstration. Railwaymen in the crowd, so far as they were vocal, spoke with greater confidence of the situation than from their expression might bo expected.