MOSGIEL RAILWAY STATION

Otago Daily Times, Issue 26918, 2 November 1948, Page 6

MOSGIEL RAILWAY STATION

Sir,—The letter of "Awake, Mosgiel,” whilst expressing generally the views of Mosgiel residents is somewhat overcritical of Mosgiel station employees. Mosgiel is fortunate in having a railway stationmaster whose courtesy, helpfulness and cheerfulness are a pleasing feature on a station so lacking in many essentials. In prohibiting pedestrians • from crossing the railway tracks he is only carrving out the orders of his seniors which he is forced to do irrespective of his own views or desires. The likelihood of a fatal accident to a pedestrians at the Mosgiel railway yards is not without its grave possibilities. When a fatality does occur the blame and condemnation of the people of Mosgiel will be placed directly on the heads of the departmental administrators of the railway service, who for 50 years or more have consistently ignored the pleadings of the Mosgiel residents to have overhead bridge access to the station platform for the use of the very large section of the public whose residences are directly opposite the railway station and who have to make a detour of over half a mile to reach the station platform only 50 yards from their residences. If the railways were privately owned an overhead pedestrian bridge would have been built when the station was erected, and service to the users of the railway the first consideration and not the last, as has always been the case with our Govern-ment-owner railways. With a railway passenger service which is a disgrace al the end of a century of progress in this country, with the rising costs of fares, with the ruination of clpthes in dirty, obsolete carriages, Mosgiel in so far as railway passenger service is concerned is in an unenviable position. The forming of a public transport company In Mosgiel similar to that in Green Island to give the public the adequate transport service they are entitled to is a very real possibility in the near future made necessary by the lack of vision and obstructive tactics of the administractive heads of railways. Whilst acknowledging the fact that the Mosgiel Borough Council has made many attempts to secure better travelling facilities for its residents the situation to-da.v with a rapidly increasing population is so serious that the calling of a public meeting by the Mayor is a very definite necessity.—l am, etc., Wide Awake.