MAIN TRUNK EXPRESSES

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXVII, Issue 23700, 5 July 1940, Page 8

MAIN TRUNK EXPRESSES

SLEEPING BERTHS NEW ALLOTMENT METHOD [by telegraph—owx correspondent] WELLINGTON, Thursday A new method of dealing with applications for sleeping berths on the Auckland express and the Auckland limited was described to the Wellington Chamber of Commerce council by Mr. A. Parkes, district traffic manager, New, Zealand Railways. Mr. Parkes said there had been a good deal of mis- | understanding in the past because of late-comers getting better berths than earlier applicants. Mr. M. 6- C. McCaul: Because Ministers did not travel. Mr. Parkes continued that in the past, for example, if there were 17 applicants, 16 were allocated to one car, and naturally the 16th on the list would not get much of a berth, but the 17th would get the best in the second car. A now system was now to be introduced whereby a note would bo taken when an application was made aud a ticket would be issued, but there would be no reservation allotted until, say, noon in the case of the express, which left at 3 p.m., and 4 p.m. in the case of tlio limited, which left at 7.10 p.m. Berths would be allotted in order of application. For instance, the first two applicants would get the centre berths of the first car, the second two, the centre of the second car, and the third two, the centre of the third car. The next in order would be allotted the berths next to the centre ones, and so on, right'through. This would give the iirxt-comers the best service.

The council expressed its appreciation of tins new method.