NIGHT TRAIN SERVICE

Taranaki Daily News, 10 July 1929, Page 11

NIGHT TRAIN SERVICE

fc IMPORTANCE TO TARANAKI. CHAMBER OF COMMERCE MOVES. I , Night trains between New Plymouth and Wellington are to be the subject r of further representations to the Rail- . way Department by the Taranaki Chamber of Commerce. At a meeting of the council last night Mr. J. R. Cruickshank suggested the time was opportune for a renewal of t, the proposal made by the chamber four t years ago. It was decided to ask the 1 railway committee to take immediate k action in the matter. 1 “And failing a favourable reply from the Railway Department, I would go fur- ; ther and say the time is opportune to 2 approach the motor services,” said Mr. 2 Gordon Fraser. He considered a night } motor service could be run profitably, ■ because of the saving of two days for business men desiring to visit Wellington. Such a service would be ap- . predated. If they approached the motor > interests they would soon bring the railway people along to consider the pro- , posal. . Mr. Cruickshank produced a draft of i the letter sent by the chamber to the department four years ago. It said:— J “It was suggested that a night service • be arranged to leave New Plymouth about 8 p.m. and a similar train to leave Napier about 10 p.m., each train , to stop at important intermediate sta- ' tions en route to Palmerston North at , which point both trains would join up ’ and proceed as one train to Wellington, arriving there some time between, say. i 7 or 7.30 a.m., in time to avoid inter- , ference with early suburban traffic into Wellington. The return train service from Wellington to Napier and New Plymouth would leave Wellington, say, about 9 p.m., dividing at Palmerston the New Plymouth section reaching its destination about 8 a.m. and Napier about 6.30 a.m. “This service would link up the most important towns on east ' and west coasts respectively and enable the public of New Plymouth or. Napier to spend a day in Wellington on business without the loss of two whole working days in travelling. The proposed service would also give the terminal towns of New Plymouth and Napier early trains in and late trains out, enabling country visitors to spend a full day in either place and return the same day to their respective destinations. From a departmental point of view .we venture to suggest that such a service would go far to meet the competition of motor services, of which, the department is never tired of complaining, and would, after a trial, create a special traffic over and above the daylight service.” IMPORTANCE TO FARMERS. Mr. S. Vickers said this was a matter of vital importance to the farmers. At present they had to leave their farms for three days if they, (wanted to go to Wellington for business taking a few hours only to complete. This was a sort- ; ous loss to them. He would undertake . to present the proposal to the. farmers ; and lie was sure they would give their suppbrt. . ; Mr. P. E. Stainton thought it would be necessary to obtain the of j chambers of commerce' between New Plymouth and Napier.. i The chairman (Mr. E. Shaw) agreed 1 that the time was opportune to press i the application. « 1 Mr. T. C. List said residents of New < Plymouth were at a great disadvantage < compared with men from the South Is- j land. Ho mentioned that whereas men ] from Nelson and Christchurch could j visit Wellington and lose one day only, 1 men from New Plymouth lost three r days. * Mr. A. R. Thompson: But they use s the steamer services, do they not? . c Mr. Cruickshank considered the public a would support the project. It would be v a question for the Railway Department i to decide what form of skeleton service 'J it would begin with; it might start with fa a train two~or three nights a week. The object of the chamber would be to get a the public to use the trains. e Mr. List said the application should be I followed up by a strong deputation. g Mr. Cruickshank recalled that on the n previous occasion Napier and Levin were u whole-heartedly with the Taranaki \ chamber. h

Mr. Stainton suggested the proposal should be referred to the railway committee to do what it considered necessary in pushing it to a conclusion. Mr. Fraser contended, however, that the chamber should take the lead in this question. They should not wait till replies were received from kindred bodies down the line. They would follow tho local chamber. He suggested the appointment of a special committee to get the proposals in the Press as soon as possible. Mr. Oruickehank made it clear that he did nbt mean that the night trains should substitute the present day ser-