RAILWAY TRAFFIC.

Otago Witness, Issue 3833, 30 August 1927, Page 7

RAILWAY TRAFFIC.

PASSENGERS AND GOODS. COMPARISON REVEALS DECREASE. WELLINGTON, August 25. A considerable falling off in railway traffic both in respect of passengers ami goods is revealed by figures published, in to-night's Gazette. To a large extent the decrease in the total number of passengers carried by train is offset by those handled by the road motor services instituted by the department since last year. The statistics cover the period of 12 weeks from April 1 to July 23, and, compared with the corresponding period of last year, the following decreases in passengers are shown: — First-class passengers. single 25,666, return 45.006; .secondclass passengers, single 108.525, return 252.152; total decrease, 431,349. Deducting from this total the 176,230 passengers who were carried during the 12 weeks of 1927 by the department’s road motor services, which were not in operation last year, the net decrease is over a quarter of a million. The total number of passengers carried by the Railways Department during the? 12-week period from April 1 to July 23 (including the road motor services this year) is as follows:—l926, 3.170.718: 1927, 2,915.599 —a net decrease of 255,119. The passengers represented by seasonticket holders are shown separately, the figures being as follows:—l927. 190,664; 1926, 181.015—an increase of 8740. In the live stock traffic on the railways there was a decrease of 14.962 head of cattle and an inc rease of 25.643 sheep during the 12 weeks ended July 23, as compared with the corresponding period of last year. lhe detailed figures are as follows, those for the previous year being supplied in p..rentheses:— Cattle. 136,995 (151.957): sheep and pigs. 2.582.255 (2.556.012) : —total. 2.719.250 (2.708.569). A total decrease of 55.161 tons of gods carried during the 12-week period ended •July 23, as compared with the corresponding period of last year, is made up of 46.402 tons of timber and 8759 tons of other goods, lhe clef ailed figures are as follows, the 1926 figures appearing in parentheses: — Timber. 172.874 tons (219.276) : other goods, 2.019.670 tons (2.025.429) ;• — totals, 2,192,544 tons (2,247,705).