RAIL TRAFFIC IN HOLIDAYS

Southland Times, Issue 23407, 14 January 1938, Page 4

RAIL TRAFFIC IN HOLIDAYS

FIGURES EXPECTED TO BE RECORD

STAFF COMPLIMENTED BY MR MACKLEY

“Although the final figures have not yet been collated, it is anticipated that the passenger returns for the holiday period just passed will probably exceed those of any previous year, said the General Manager of Railways, Mr G. H. Mackley, in reference to the exceptionally heavy traffic handled by the department within recent weeks. The excellent weather during the Christmas and New Year period, associated with the improvement in conditions generally, had created an unprecedented movement in the department’s passenger business, Mr Mackley continued, and the traffic on the main trunk lines in both the North and South Elands, in particular, had been very heavy indeed. Figures for the Auckland station up to the end of last week showed an increase of £2500 tor the Christmas period, as compared with the previous year’s total, and up to the present time there had been no abatement in the volume of traffic. “All of the main centres throughout the system have experienced probably one of their busiest Christmases, said Mr Mackley. “It is anticipated that the gross revenue for the current financial year ending March 31, 1938, will establish a record in the history of the New Zealand railways. The goods traffic,, in keeping with the great increase in passenger business, had also been unprecedentedly heavy, and as a result of the increased traffic, the refreshment branch had been taxed to its limits. It was also anticipated that the picnic traffic during the remaining weeks of the school holidays would constitute a record.. The policy of duplicating services rather than running long, heavy trains had proved not only to be helpful to the travelling public, but also of material assistance to the department in coping with the pressure of work. “I would like to pay a personal compliment to the whole of the railways staff for the very able and efficient manner in which it has dealt with the rush of traffic,” said Mr Mackley. “When the final figures are made available I believe the fine work performed by the staff as a whole will be more clearly understood and even more greatly appreciated.”