HOLIDAY CROWDS

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXV, Issue 23014, 16 April 1938, Page 12

HOLIDAY CROWDS

HEAVY RAIL TKAFFIC

BUSY EASTER PERIOD^ MANY VISITORS TO CITY With thousands of holiday-makers travelling to and from the city during the past two days, transport officials have had to cope with one of the busiest periods in many years. Hotels and boarding houses have had a similar experience in catering for the abnormal rush of visitors, and in many cases it has been found impossible to accommodate all who have applied for lodgings. Travellers by ordinary and special express trains alone totalled over l.'), 000 for the two days. Long, heavily laden, trains have arrived or departed from Auckland at close intervals carrying people to or from Wellington, Rotorua, New Plymouth, Tauranga, Whangarei and other centres. Easter is usually the busiest period of the year for the railways, busier even than Christmas and New Year, and the present occasion has been no exception.

Exodus From Auckland Outward passengers on Thursday totalled approximately 5610, who travelled by 11 special and seven ordinary expresses. Over 2000 people were passengers by the six trains t(> Wellington, while nearly 1000 were on board three trains for Rotorua. Another 1550 travellers left the city by express yesterday, this number including about 600 on two trains for Wellington.. Ten expresses, including three special trains, brought 2230 visitors to the city on Thursday, the greater number coming from Wellington and Rotorua. There was a particularly heavy influx yesterday, 12 trains, including seven specials, arriving from various centres with 3650 passengers. Over 2000 came by six trains from Wellington. Other Services Well Patronised Trains leaving Auckland on both days .were despatched to scheduled times, but, mainly because of the heavy holiday traffic, several of the expresses which arrived from Wellington yesterday morning were considerably late. Through the derailment of a truck at Pokeno on Thursday afternoon, the Rotorua-Auckland express was held up for a period# Motor-bus and service car operators have also been fully engaged coping with the large numbers .of travellers, and in some cases extra ears have had to be provided. Air services to and from the city have also been well patronised. Hotels and boarding houses anticipate being fully booked until next Tuesday night, by which time many people will be returning to their homes.