A PROSPEROUS RAILWAY COMPANY

New Zealand Mail, Issue 1675, 6 April 1904, Page 59

A PROSPEROUS RAILWAY COMPANY

THE WELMNGTON-MANAWATU

LINE.

INTERESTING FIGURES OF THE

YEAR’S WORK.

The chairman of directors of the Wellington and Manaw&tu Railway Company {Mr John Kirkcaldie), in his speech at the annual meeting last Wednesday, quoted apnie interesting figures showing' the success of the company’s’, operations during the year. “ Our gross' railway revenue/’’ he said, “ shows the substantial increase of nearly £II,OOO in excess of our receipts last year, and amounts to £122.182 14s 4d. Comparing this with the amount of revenue received five years ago, the receipts of the company under tin if heading have advanced by no less than £36,000. notwithstanding that during ' this period .very material reductions have been made in fares and rates. The most noticeable feature of our railway revenue is the continued improvement of our passenger traffic. During the past, year the number of passenger® carried amounted to 394,900, as against 340,921 iu the * previous twelve months, being an increase of 53,979, and resulting in an increased revenue of £6500. As indicative of the effect that the. reductions in fares and freights have had upon our receipts, I would point out that although the number of passengers carried last year is double the number carried five years ago, the increase in , revenue only amounts to 56 per cent. The increased revenue from goods traffic amounts to £3500. The gross tonnage, including all classes of goods, has increased from 109,179 tens to 117.187 tons, although there has been a fallingmff in cattle, sheep and wool. The items which show the most substantial increase® for 1 the

year are —general merchandise 6000 tons, drowsed flax 1000 tons, and timber 1.700.000 ft.

’ “ During the year the maintenance of our permanent way, bridges and rollingstock ha® received most, careful attention. A large amount of relaying work has been carried out, nearly fiye miles of line have been relaid with 65ib rails

and 10,683 sleepers have been used to replace others taken up’. Of the new sleepers 8178 are of ironbark and the balance, 2507, of totara, and though the initial cost of the former is greater, they are more economical in the long run, owing to their longer life l . A sum of £IOOO expended’-in the construction of the new steel viaduct over the Belmont gorge, completed during the year, has also been charged to our working expenses, and there have been other heavy repairs to several of our smaller bridges. The Belmont viaduct has taken the place of the wooden structure which has served; for many years and has been placed in identically the same position. That this arduous work should have been carried out without an hour’s dislocation of the traffic, I think you will agree with me, reflects great credit on. our engineer (Air Mar oh banks) and the efficiency of his..staff. We are now happily freed from the constant danger of fire which is always a menace to a wooden bridge. Four of the new carriages added to our rolling-stock during the year, amounting to £6OOO, have been added to our maintenance expenditure. The whole of the line and rolling-stock have been well maintained', no expense being spared to keep them in first-class order. “ Owing to the increasing business, wo have been able to' run an additional train since the Ist December last each way between Wellington and Palmerston. This train has been much appreciated, and largely used by the travelling public, and will, I feel sure', ultimately justify its introduction. The speed of the mail trains between the two mentioned towns has also been slightly accelerated for the benefit of our passengers, and we now make the journey between Palmerston and Wellington in three hours and fifty minutes, as compared with five hours when we first commenced running. These increased facilities for travelling, of course, increased train mileage, and* also an addi-

tionail cost in running, but your directors prefer to be before rather than behind the requirements of the public. The improved time-table lias also neceissdr tated the increasing of our rolling-stock. Six new oars <?f a somewhat superior type have .been.,placed! in service during the year. A new dining-car and bogie brake-van hare .also been constructed, and will shortly berunning. Still more carriages, however, are required, and arrangements are being made to build six new oars in our workshops this year, Four powerful engines are expected here shortly—two in a few weeks and the other tv/o in about a couple of months. These, vthen in commission, will have cost about £13,000, and will enable us to cope with all the traffic which may pass oven* our line for years to come. It is also proposed to push on with the relaying of 651 b rails, as this Work of renewal must be proceeded with, without intermission, ahd for this purpose 600 tons of steel rails are now on order from Great Britain. During the past year the head office Staff have been transferred to offices in a separate and new building, and very extensive alterations are now in progress at ohr Wellington station, which has been handed over entirely to provide for the comfort and convenience of the travelling public.