PASSENGERS BY RAILWAY

Taranaki Daily News, 3 August 1932, Page 9

PASSENGERS BY RAILWAY

JUMP IN WEEKLY RETURNS FIGURES FOR NEW PLYMOUTH. COMPARISON MTTEI LAST YEAR. Unmistakable signs that the railway department, in Taranaki at least, is sharing in the revival of confidence are shown in the steadily increasing figures recently for passenger traffic. At New Plymouth last week the number of passengers carried was 100 per cent, greater than the number carried in the corresponding week of 1931. The revenue showed an increase of 50 per cent, over the same period. “Since the introduction of cheap excursion fares last September there has been a gradual increase in passenger traffic at New Plymouth over both short and long distances,” said a railway official to a News reporter yesterday. “There is no doubt that people, having to watch every shilling, have taken advantage of the excursion rates. For instance, it costs a child only lOd to travel to Inglewood and back.” Goods traffic was beginning to “look up” gradually, though it varied according to the amount of shipping working the port. Yesterday was a quiet day but there would be a 'busy spell when the Somerset and the Taranaki arrived probably on Thursday and the Ruahine on Monday. With the seasonal demand for topdressing and the Government subsidy on super-phosphate there was a ‘Brisk business down the line. At present 20 to 30 trucks of fertiliser from New Plymouth went down the line through Taranaki every morning.