THE OTAGO CENTRAL RAIL SERVICE

Otago Daily Times, Issue 22325, 27 July 1934, Page 12

THE OTAGO CENTRAL RAIL SERVICE

TO THE EDITOR. Sir, —Kindly permit me to comment upon a letter by “Traveller” in Saturday’s issue of your paper entitled “ Safety and Comfort.” 1 am but one of dozens who, alas, must echo your correspondent’s grievance about the non-hearing of trains on the Dunedin-Cromweli line in the very severest days of winter. The excuse of the Railways Department as published by you is but oue of many reasons why so many of us never travel by train unless absolutely compelled to do so. Apart from the frightful discomfort of sitting in an unheated carriage for hours, one has, in addition, to put up with faulty doors and windows which refuse oft times to serve their purpose. Moreover, nine times out of ten, even first-class non-smoking carriages are in a filthy state, which‘would not be tolerated by even third-class passengers in any part of the world. Second-class passengers are frequently allowed to travel the whole journey in first-class carriages and the larrikin element is permitted to smoke therein without any interference from the guard. This sort of thing has gone on for years, and I for one reported it to an inspector who boarded the train some months ago, alas, in vain. The statement that foot-warmers are provided for passengers when there is no heat, was published. Yet, sometimes there are two, or perhaps three, in each carriage, but aljmost stone cold. No wonder this line does not pay. To travel on it one needs to wear overalls to keep oneself clean, and, in winter time, o'ne must bo equipped with hot-water bags. It is high time that such insults to the public were remedied. Are none of the department’s highly paid officers able to investigate this state of affairs for themselves? Or is it not worth their while, since the travelling public, from ! repeated experience of discomfort, knows better than to use the train whenever \ there is a way "out.—l am, etc., Ranfurly, July 23. Disgusted. .