WORLD’S BUSIEST STATION

Otago Daily Times, Issue 18465, 28 January 1922, Page 6

WORLD’S BUSIEST STATION

MELBOURNE’S CLAIM. (From Ooh Own Correspondent.) SYDNEY. January 18. The claim hasjbeen laid by the Victorian railway authorities that the Central Station at Melbourne is the busiest in the world. Tho Railway Commissioners state that while reliable statistics are not available as to which railway station in tho world deals with the greatest amount of passenger traffic in a single day, latest figures enow that Flinders Street, Melbourne, is easily the busiest station in Australasia, and is generally understood among railwaymen to be the busiest in the world in respect to the number of trains handled, and one of tho first three in the world as regards the number of passengers arriving and departing on an ordinary working day. A count made in 1913 of the number of trains dealt with at Flinders street showed that 1377 passenger- trains and 114- goods trains passed through in one day, as well as 176 engines. It oan reasonably be claimed that Flinders street has, under present electrification conditions, considerably over IFOO passenger and goods trains each day af or through the station, and that at least 200,000 passengers now arrive or depart from that station during each working day. In London, prior to the war, the Liverpool Street Station of the Great Eastern Company was tho busiest both as regards the numbers of trains and passenger: a -r----ried. It is claimed that 1320 passe ; r trains daily were dealt with at Liverpool street, and that between 190,000 and 180,000 passengers arrived at or departed from that station, but there is no goods traffic at Liverpool street. In France, the St. Lazaro Station was the busiest, and in seme publications it has been shown as the busiest in tho world, but as the figures available show that only 1300 trains, or fewer, and about 150.000 passengers are dealt with each day, i(s business is not as great us that conducted at either Flinders street (Melbourne) or Liverpool street (London). In the United States the management of the South Boston station claims that this is the busiest station .in the whole of the United States, but tho distinction is also claimed by tha management of the Grand Central Station, New York. In Berlin there are several city termini for suburban services, which include an underground electric system, but as far as is known none of these stations deals with Tie same number of trains or pa-sen-gars as Flinders street.