THE RAILWAY CUT.

Otago Witness, Issue 3517, 9 August 1921, Page 36

THE RAILWAY CUT.

SERIOUS CURTAILMENTS. ALL LINES AFFECTED. ( WELLINGTON, August 3. I lie following statement was issued by t.I)o Minister for Railways to-night. In view of the high rate of expenditure, and t:l)o fact that tire railway trattic, which, has been declining since April 1, gives no >ign of materially improving, it lias been decided that a curtailment in the train ser- ' u es has become a matter of necessity. Commencing from the 14th inst. the Wednesday and Saturday trains between \V hangarei and Opua will be cancelled, and cue through service between \\ nangarei and Opua will be reduced to three days per week, connecting with the Northern Company s steamer at Oneruhi. The ilelensviileA lick land express on {Saturdays, and the ►Sunday service between Ponro: o and Onenimga will be cancelled. The mid-day trains o wtween Palmerston North and Eoxton will l;e reduced to two days per week. In the Wellington district tho mixed trains between Vv oodvilio and Alasterton will be reduced to three days per week. The two motor trains between Lower Tlutt and Ipper lluti, the 4.45 a.m. train Palmerston North fo Waipukurau, and the 11.25 p.m. W eilington-Juhnsonvilie train will be can- < elled. In the South Island the alterations are as follows: Soco n d exp re s s, Chris tc liurc 1 1 -1 n v e r car g i 11, to run on three clays per week. Lyttelton line. Late passenger service to run on two days per week. Cuiverden- \\ aiau service.—-Passenger service to run three days per week, and goods service to run four days per week; Culverdcn-Waikari service cancelled; Eyrston branch service io run four days Tier week; Rangiora-Ox-ford service to run three days per week; Oxford Nile ffie I d m i c l-day train is cancelled; W aipara-Parnassus service to run four days per week; Christchurch-Little River to run three days per week; Lincoln-Little River to run four days per week; ChristchurchSouthbridge to run three days per week; Christchurch-Springfield to run three days per week; Darfield-Whiteeliffs to run three days per week; Aletiiven-Rakaia to run on four days per week; Timartt-Wdrlie, the present tri-weekly service to run on one day only. YYaimate-Studholme to run three days per week. Trains between Kurow and Hakataramea are cancelled. * Oamaru-Hukataramca trains to terniinato run at Kurow. Oamaru-Tokarahi-Xgapara to run two days per week. Dunedin-Port Chalmers 10.16 p.m. train to run on Saturdaj’s only; the 11.15 train to run on Wednesdays and Saturdays instead of daily; the morning trains on Sundays to be cut out. Dunedin-Mosgioi iate trains to be cut out on Wednesdays, and the 9.25 a.m. and 10.40 a.m. trains to be cancelled. Lavvrence-Beaumont-Milton. —12.10 p.m., 2.5 p.m., and 7.30 p.m. trains to be cut out on Mondays and Thursdays. Saturday night trains between Woodlands and Invercargill to be cancelled. Tapanui Branch. —To be reduced to one train per day each way, with an extra tram on Saturday evening. Waikaka Branch. —To run on four days per week. Waimoa Plains. —Goods train with passenger cars to be cancelled between Gore and Lumsdon. Switzers branch service to run on four days per week. Bluff Line. Four trains cancelled. Seaward Bush Line. —Saturday night trains, Invercargill-Wuimahaka, eanci lied. Forest Hill Line. —To run four days per week. Kingston Invercar. ill. Trains between Lumsden and Kingston to bo cut out on Yv i dnesdays. W inton-Invercargill.—Saturday morning and afternoon trains cancelled, also goods trains on Wednesdays. Mararoa Branch. Service on Saturdays cancelled, service to run on Wednesdays only. Consequential adjustments in tho times of trains will probably inquire to be made, full details of which ".'ill be notified by advertisement, It is intended that the curtailed time-table shall remain in operation until the end of November, unless in tho m ‘.intStig* the traffic materially increases. For the three railway periods ending ; June 25, 1921, the increased revenue on the Wkangarci section was £3028, and the increased expenditure £5303. On the South Island Alain Trunk lines the increased revenue was £19,238 and the increased expenditure £188,736. On the North Island Main Trunk line the increased revenue was £116.554 and the increased revenue £293.090. the percentage of working expenses to revenue in the whole < f tee North Island was 91.34 per cent, aval's! 69.37 per cent, for tho corresponding period last year. In the South Island the percentage was 104.60 per cent, against 78.33 per cent, for the corresponding period last year. The total increased revenue to date for all lines for the three months was £1.658.683 and the total expenditure £1 604.657. The working expenses were 96.74 per cent, against 73.31 per cent, for the corresponding period last tear. LOG A L A LTER ATI ON S. The District, Traffic Manager's office has ! supplied the following particulars of local timetable alterations which will come into force on Sunday', August. 14: Express Trains. —The 8.45 a.m. Christ-eiiuich-lnvereargiil (Dunedin 5.10 p.m.) ex:.ie s and 6.10 a.m. Invert 1 jrgill-tlhristohurch (Dunedin 11.15 a.m.) express Gains will run on Tuesdays. Thursdays, and Saturdays only. Oamarn-Timaru. —The present 3.30 p.m. Onmui'ii-Tin.aru train .will leave at 3.25 p. to, Kurow Brandi. —The morning 6.45 a.m. Kurow to Ilakataramca and 7.15 a.m. Jrlakai:;;a:ne;i to Kurow trains will not run. Tile morning train will start from Kurow at 7.32 a.m. daily. The afternoon train for Kurow will leave (Lunaru at 3.45 pi. m. instead of 4.10 p.m. It will run through to Hakataramea on \\ ednesdavs and Saturdays only. Ngapara-Living ■ Branches. The 8.20 a.m. Oauiaru Tokarahi train and return 4.15 p.m. train Tokarahi to Oamarn on i hursdays will not run, and tho 8.20 a.m. Oamam-Xgapara train and 4.55 p.m. Nga-para-O'atnaru train on Fridays will not run. Dunedin-Fort Chalmers. The 10.16 p.m. train Dunedin to Fort Chalmers will not

run on Wednesdays, and the 11.15 p.m. train Dunedin to Port Chalmers will run on Wednesdays and Saturdays only. The present daily 11.15 p.m. Port ChalmersDunedin train will run on Saturdays only. The 9.30 a.m. Dunedin-Port Chalmers and 10.10 a.m. Post Chaimers-Dunedin Sunday trains will not run. Dunedin-Mosgiei.—The 9.25 a.m. DunedinMosgiei train, which at present takes passengers for Cut ram Branch, will not run. The 9.5 a.m. Dunedin-Clinton train will make the Outram connection. The 10.35 p.m. Dunedin-Mosgiei and 11.15 p.m. Mosgiel- Dunedin trains will not run on Wednesdays. Outram Branch. —The afternoon train for Mosgiel will leave Outram at 3.45 p.m. and the return train for Outram will leave Mosgiel- at 5.0 p.m., connecting with the train leaving Dunedin for Mosgiel at 4.20 p.m. Lawrence Branch. -The train leaving Lawrence for Beaumont at 12.10 p.m. and the 2.5 p.m. train Beaumont to Milton will run on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Fridays, and Saturdays only. The 6.30 p.m. train Milton to Lawrence will run on Tuesdays only, and the 7.30 p.m. train Milton to Lawrence will run on Wednesdays, Fridays, and Saturdays only. Catlins River Branch. —The 5.55 a.m. train from Tahakopa, and 7.10 p.m. train from Baidu th a, connecting with express train at Balelutha, will run on Thursdays instead of Fridays. The 10.40 a.m. tram BuF'lutha to Tahakopa and 12.15 p.m. train Tahakopa to Balelutha will run daily except Thursdays. On Thursdays these trains will run between Balelutha and Owaka only. SAVING TO THE DEPARTMENT. NO REDUCTION OF STAFF. WELLINGTON. August 5. Details of the amended railway timetable are to be announced in the various districts this week. In reply to a criticism that the reduction in daily trains would bo a serious business for school children, the Hon. D. 11. Guthrie (Minister of Railways) states that the requirements of school children had been very fully considered by the Government before the reduction in services was finally approved. Tile department is doing its best to reduce interference with education to a minimum. There are cases where the withdrawal of trains used by- children attending schools could not be avoided, but he was satisfied that the least possible inconvenience was being inflicted upon the young people. The saving to be effected up to the end of November by the reduction of services is estimated at £IOO,OOO, or at the rate roughly of £350,000 a year. Recent returns show that traffic is still declining, and the department cannot know when this decline will Nbe checked. The reduction of services will involve some loss of revenue, though probably net very much, since the traffic will tend to accommodate itself to the new time-table. It is not anticipated that, the amended time-table will involve a reduction of railway staff, though it will involve some reduction in the earnings of railwayman, since the amount of overtime worked on many lines will be very much reduced. The saving will consist largely in the reduced consumption of coal and stores, and the reduced wear and tear. Reduced train mileage will mean, of course, reduced maintenance charges and other savings. MEETING AT LAWRENCE. The business people of Lawrence met on Thursday night to consider the railway cut so far as it will affect the district. The meeting was quite in sympathy with the Railway Department in its effort to curtail expenditure under the conditions prevailing, but considered that the business interests of the district would bo better conserved if, instead of cutting out the afternoon train on Monday and Thursday, the Department were to out out the morning train on Tuesday and Friday. It was resolved to wire to the Minister of Railways and Traffic Manager to this effect, and to ask Ms- Edie. M.P.. to exert his influence in the direction indicated.