THE MAIN TRUNK LINE.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXIX, Issue 6383, 4 December 1907, Page 7

THE MAIN TRUNK LINE.

TO AUCKLAND IX TWENTY HOURS. THE SCALE OP PARES. PRESS ASSOCIATION, AUCKLAND. December 3. Sir Joseph Ward, in tho course of jwi interview tcAlay, staled Unit thoro iu every reason to liopo that through traffic between Wellington and Auckland on tho Main Trn-nk railway 5. iJI bo possible before tho etui of next year. "Special carriages arc being built,'' )io said, "for the oxpm's B«vicn between Auckland and Wellington, and these Will bo a foot wider than those running at the preonn.t time. This will provide much more* and greatly improved aocominckl-j tioni for tho pannon"ers and will enable sleeping cornpartirerrto to be provides! itn somei cars. These oars are ben;." designed upon th i same principle as Ukkso running between Adelaide ami Melbourne, “lb is intended that the journey between Aueldand and Wellington shall Bccirpy twrvnty hours. This is not running at a speed which wall be tmeon-,-forl-a-ble, for Mie whole distance is 426 mllcH, which, including stoppages, will bn run in the twenty hours. We propose to leave Auckland at midday and arrive in Wellington at ft o’clock the next moTTi'ing, the return trip being similarly made at precisely the same times. Special ratines an? being built to bo ready for the traffic. "An indication of the faros will l>e ■r>f interest The first-class single faro from Auckland to Wellington will be .Cl 10s Id. and Becomd-cifu-s; £1 Is 2d, the return being exactly double these, Tho excursion rates will be—-first-class return, £3 lls, instead of C 3 18s 2d; and sccond-olaas, 35s Od, instead of 42h 4d.

“I think I am right in raying that when the lino is through it will very greatly incrreaao travel, nob only between the termini, but with tho various point* on tho lino. I am looking forward, as aro all concerned, to tho opening of the North Trunk Line, which will, T am sure, be the most payable link in tho groat railway system of Now Zealand.”