NEW TRAIN TIME-TABLE

Taranaki Daily News, 18 July 1933, Page 3

NEW TRAIN TIME-TABLE

ITS EFFECT AT STRATFORD. HANDLING OF THE TRAFFIC. Satisfaction that matters were so far advanced that a definite time-table for the Stratford-Main Trunk railway could be published, and a disposition to await further developments before commenting on the suitability of the .arrangements were the keynotes of opinions expressed to a News reporter yesterday by Stratford people. ■ The time-table was referred to the acting-stationmaster at Stratford, Mr. C. J. Symonds, who said that although they had not had time to go fully into the matter and had not received full particulars . from headquarters, he did not think the inauguration of the new services would make a great deal of difference as far as. the Stratford station stafi was concerned. The express trains would be through traffic and at. present it appeared that all the extra staff required would be another guard. The fact that trains would be arriving and departing during the night was not so important, as there was a large amount of night traffic attended to at present. Nothing was known, added Mr. Symonds, as to whether refreshment rooms would be opened. Asked whether the opening of the new service would have any effect on Wel-lington-Taranaki traffic, Mr. Symonds said he did not think so. The crossing for north and south Main Trunk expresses was at Kakahi, south of Okahukura, and Taumarunui, and consequently north-bound passengers from _ Wellington would be too late to join the Stratford-bound express, and the Stratford express reached Taumarunui too late to catch the south-bound train. Consequently,. it could not be said, replied Mr. Symonds to a question, that one could “leave New Plymouth after tea and be in either Auckland or Wellington for breakfast.” The new service catered for Auckland-bound traffic only. There would not be any changing required for south-bound passengers. The necessary cars would be uncoupled from the Limited and start the separate journey a quarter of an hour after the Wellington train had gone on. No advice had been received from headquarters yet, said the postmaster, Mr. D. McCready. The Post;’ Department would .be taking full advantage of the service and the result would be a speeding up of Auckland-New- Plymouth mails and vice versa. The immediate effect on Stratford would probably be an increase in handling, and the arrival of the west-bound train in the early morning would possibly necessitate an alteration in hours of work for the staff. . .. . • < :

■ “The time-table is practically the same as that submitted to the chamber some time ago and approved,” said Mr. J. S. Richards, chairman of the Stratford Chamber of Commerce. The time-table was quite all right to commence with, said Mr. Richards, who added that the authorities had agreed to listen to any representations for alteration if it were thought desirable. They would like services additional to the ones contained in the time-table, but their policy was to

see how the present arrangement suited. “What we would like is a direct service, a Taranaki-Auckland express,” said Mr. Richards, “but we are a little diffident about asking for that at present. Later we may make representations when we see if the traffic warrants it. That the line would prove of inestimable value in opening up the King Country was the opinion of a representative of a leading stock firm. At present, he stated, King Country wool went via Marton to Wanganui. Now it would go via Stratford. Fertilisers that Were bought at Auckland now would come through the port of New Plymouth, and it would mean closer co-operation between Taranaki and Waikato and the King Country, and the coastal districts of Taranaki. In the Stratford station yard at the moment, said the representative, was a truck load of heifers consigned from North Taranaki to Northern Waikato. The position in regard to the rail was that roughly the freight for two trucks to Waikato via Stratford was the same as for one via Marton. Added to that one had the effect on stock of the extra day and the 'extra distance. As far as the line’s influence on trade was concerned, already a good many King Country station cattle and sheep had been sold at Douglas, Stratford and Hawera, but vendors were being tempted to bring their stock out and try the better markets. Similarly it was recognised that for the breeding of lambs, for export King Country ewes were the best. With the line in Taranaki buyers could attend the fairs where previously they could not. When it was considered, too, that sheep changed hands usually about February, and at that time the long drive through the Tangarakau Gorge always caused large losses, it could be seen the rail would be of enormous value to stock people. “Other people see the benefits, of the connection from the passenger point .of view,” he said. “We contend that the potentialities of the Stratford-Main Trunk line for traffic other than passenger services are enormous.”