HEAVY TRAFFIC

Otago Daily Times, Issue 27057, 16 April 1949, Page 6

HEAVY TRAFFIC

RAILWAYS DEPARTMENT EASTER HOUDAY SERVICES LARGE EXODUS FROM CITY Easter has always meant a busy period for the Railways Department, and this year has proved no exception. Indeed, if anything, Thursday and Friday this Easter were harder for the railway and road services staffs than in previous years. The volume of incoming traffic was much the same as in former years, but considerably more people left Dunedin to spend the vacation elsewhere. All the north, south and Central Otago trains to and from Dunedin were fully loaded, even though numerous relief trains were added. The bus services, supplemented by a number of additional vehicles, also carried maximum loads. Normal air services were run, and many people chose to leave Dunedin by plane. About 2500 passengers travelled from Dunedin on Thursday by five trains to the south. Usually on Thursday there is only the through express from Christchurch, but to cater for the Easter traffic three additional expresses were provided, and the usual mixed train to Clinton on Friday was run on Thursday as a passenger train. Many passengers were probably going to attend either the Riverton races or the regatta at Queenstown. Four trains carried some 2000 passengers for Christchurch on Thursday. The normal time table provides for only the 11.35 a.m. express. Each of the trains required an assisting engine as far as Oamaru. About 600 passengers were carried to Central Otago on Thursday by the usual 7.52 a.m. train and a special midnight train which left Dunedin at 10 o’clock.

Approximately 1000 passengers'were conveyed by two trains for the south yesterday. The first, which left .at 8 a.m., ran to Gore only and carried about 500 passengers, mostly for Gore and Queenstown. A similar number of passengers, but chiefly for Invercargill. was carried by the usual Dun-edin-Invercargill express. The maximum number '.of passengers, in each case about 500, was carried by two trains for the north yesterday. In addition to the usual 8.45 a.m. Christchurch express, a through express from Invercargill was also run.

The 7.52 a.m. train to Central Otago yesterday also had its accommodation fully taxed, there being about 300 passengers.

The passenger traffic into Dunedin from the south was about equal to that of previous years, but from the north it was much heavier. It was necessary to provide three additional trains from Christchurch on Thursday evening and these left Christchurch fully booked, arriving in Dunedin with some 1250 passengers. A good number of people journeyed south by other trains, while a few connected with the Central Otago train. Two trains from the north yesterday left Christchurch fully reserved. For the first time in several years a special train will be run for the Beaumont races this morning. It is not expected that the normal express trains to-day will be crowded. Railway road buses on the main routes to Timaru and Cental Otago were heavily loaded. On Thursday evening three extra buses were provided for the Roxburgh route. An additional bus went to Oamaru and Timaru .yesterday morning and three went to Wanaka. The Palmerston, Berwick and Karitane services were also heavily taxed.