TRAIN ARRANGEMENTS.

New Zealand Mail, 22 April 1887, Page 19

TRAIN ARRANGEMENTS.

TO THE EDITOR OF THE NEW ZEALAND MAIL. Sir, —On Saturday last, I, with my family, intended to proceed from Wellington to Mas ter ton by the 4 o’clock train. We went in a cab to the railway Btation at a to 4 o’clock, when, for the first time, we learned that the usual 4 o’cleek train was not going to leave until twenty-five minutes to 6. As we live a long distance from the railway station, it was not convenient for us to return home, so we had to remain on the station for one hour and thirty-five minutes before the train started. Certainly we had the consolation of not being alone, as there were about 150 other people in the same predicament. We had made arrangements for a trap to meet us on our arrival at Masterton, from whence we had to drive 15 miles. We arrived in Masterton after 10 o’clock —nearly two hours later than the usual time. Upon inquiry we found that the delay in starting the train was made on purpose to allow Wairarapa visitors to the Hutt Raees to return to their homes the same night. If such was the case, surely such a matter was decided in time to admit of the alteration being advertised. I have searched the newspapers in vain for any intimation. Had the Railway Manager adopted what is understood to be the usual course in such matters, it would have saved a great number of people a lot of expense and inconvenience. But the cream of the occurrence is the fact that after detaining the train 1 hour and 35 minutes in Wellington for a specific purpose, the visitors from the races should be left behind after all, as the train from the Racecourse steamed into Petone just as the Wairarapa train left it, the unfortunate Wairarapa people missing their train by two minutes. Mr Editor, will you, can you tell me, is this what is called railway management?—lam, etc., F. J. Leonard. April 13.