BLUFF TRAIN SERVICE

Southland Times, Issue 23817, 15 May 1939, Page 4

BLUFF TRAIN SERVICE

To The Editor

Sir,—Mr Denham, M.P., at a social function here on Monday night made some very scathing remarks about our Bluff train service. His remarks, made publicly, Were very mild indeed when compared with remarks very often made by constant users of the same train. It is to be hoped that Mr Denham will (as he said) tell Mr Sullivan about it.

The local powers that be seem to think that anything does, and if Mr Denham would get busy among those higher up and get something done, he would earn the gratitude of a good number of young people who are unfortunate enough to have to travel, to their respective homes by that train. There are a lot of young people who travel from Bluff and intermediate stations by a train leaving Bluff at 8 a.m. and have to return by a train which is due to arrive at 7.10 p.m., but which really arrives any old time between 7.10 and 7.45 (as last Monday night, for instance). Surely this train could leave Invercargill and arrive at Bluff on time, or at least reasonably close to time. One does not mind a late train perhaps on rare occasions, but it is a much rarei' thing to arrive on time.

Could not the shunting at Ocean Beach be cut out for one thing, especially when the train is already running late?

The winter is with us now, and'lnvercargill station is a pretty cold place on which to wait about for a delayed train. The train is mighty cold also, and it is to be hoped that the authorities will be charitable enough to make some alterations, and give us a train that runs to time for a change.—Yours, etc., BLUFFITE. May 10, 1939. [This letter was referred to the District Traffic Manager, Invercargill, who stated: On Monday, May 7, the In-vercargill-Bluff train referred to left Invercargill at 6.30 p.m. and arrived at Bluff at 7.27 p.m., not 7.45 p.m. as stated by ‘Bluffite.’ The delay was due to attaching wagons of frozen meat at Invercargill for shipment and to shunting stock off at Ocean Beach. Arrangements have now been made which will eliminate a shunt being made by this train at Ocean Beach in future.]