NEW RAILWAY TIME-TABLE.

Taranaki Daily News, 10 March 1933, Page 6

NEW RAILWAY TIME-TABLE.

Judging by the discussions at meetings of various interested organisations throughout the province there seems to be a feeling of general satisfaction with the proposed passenger time-table on the Stratford-Main Trunk railway. It is proposed to run the north-bound expresses on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays,' leaving New Plymouth at 6.10 p.m. and Stratford at 7.30 p.m., while the return trains will run on. Tuesdays, Thursdays and Sundays, leaving Auckland at 7 p.m., and arriving at New Plymouth at 6.38 a.m. With the failure of the New Plymouth-Wellington night train still in mind people might be inclined to wonder at another experiment in night trains, but it is plain that the department in framing its time-table has been compelled to make connection with the Main Trunk expresses a vital consideration. The proposed service should at least afford Taranaki business men the best possible opportunity of going to Auckland for a day’s business with a minimum loss . of time. The early morning and late afternoon mixed trains from Stratford seem to cater admirably for business men going into East Taranaki for the day, or residents of the inland district going home after a day in

Stratford or other western towns. Similarly the time-table of the return trains in the morning (mostly foi' bringing country people into Stratford for the day) and evening (bringing visitors to the country back to town) should prove most acceptable. The Stratford Chamber of Commerce saw one of the weaknesses in the scheme when it decided to press for a connection with the daylight limited, but it is questionable whether the traffic will warrant any extension on the present proposals. It has also to be remembered that the daylight limited does not run all the year round. The lack of a fast passenger train in daylight is unfortunate for both the long distance traveller who would like to see the Tangarakau scenery and the resident en route who has to catch trains in the dark, but it seems under the prevailing conditions to be unavoidable. Another weakness in the scheme is that it provides little opportunity for residents of the Taumarunui, Ohura and Whangatnomona districts to spend the week-end on the New Plymouth beaches or at other holiday resorts of the province. However, until the population increases this lack also seems unavoidable. Possibly during the next few months it will pay the department to run excursion trains inland for the many Taranaki people who wish to see the Tangarakau and Ohura country for the first time, and in time it may be a profitable business to run week-end excursion trains from the country in the opposite direction. Generally speaking, the department is to bo commended for the attempt it has made to provide a time-table to suit the community as a whole, a pleasing feature being its willingness to accept suggestions. It remains for the people to demonstrate by their patronage the suitability or otherwise of the proposals.