FIRST THROUGH EXPRESS

Taranaki Daily News, 5 September 1933, Page 9

FIRST THROUGH EXPRESS

AUCKLAND-NEW PLYMOUTH USE MADE OF THE NEW SERVICE. WIDE EXPRESSIONS OF APPROVAL. CONVENIENCE TO TRAVELLERS. The arrival of the first Auckland-New Plymouth express at New Plymouth with 34 passengers yesterday morning was sufficient proof of the value of the new service, without considering the fact that at one time there had been 60 people on the train. The express was met by representatives of local bodies in Taranaki, who made short speeches of welcome and expressed pleasure at the success of the initial venture. The Auckland-Wellington limited express, to which the Taranaki train was attached, left Auckland a little over five minutes late, some delay resulting in the loading of passengers’ luggage. As had happened on the northward journey by the Wellington-Auckland ordinary express arriving at Auckland on Sunday morning, which was also drawn by a K class locomotive, and which had gradually fallen more and more behind schedule, the train from Auckland also lost time until on arrival at Taumarunui it was about a quarter of an hour late. Though the Taranaki train left Taumarunui correspondingly late it arrived at Stratford strictly on schedule time, in spite of the fact that there* had been heavy rain in the district through which it passed and that the driver, whether from design or not, slowed the train considerably when approaching any sharp bends. The change at Taumarunui had been made without any inconvenience to passengers. Those who wished to alight for refreshments did so, when the carriages, were locked and the Taranaki part of the train shunted to another platform, to which the., passengers were directed on their return. From Taumarunui an AB engine hauled the train. _ PASSENGERS FROM TAUMARUNUI. The passenger list of 28 which the train carried when it' left Auckland had increased to 47 when the departure from Taumarunui was made. Other travellers than those proceeding to Taranaki stations had occupied, seats in the Taranaki section of the train at the permission of the authorities, but they were only for stations north of Taumarunui. Fairly general use was made of the new service by residents in the districts between Taumarunui and Stratford. Several boarded the train at Ohura, three at Tangarakau, three at Whangamomona and some at Te Wera, with the result that on arrival at Stratford there were about .60 passengers. A good number detrained for Stratford and stations south of there, but the numbers on the train were increased r slightly at Inglewood, where one or two joined in the early light of dawn. When the train arrived at New Plymouth it carried 34 passengers. ' L... The purposes for which passengers who entrained at stations on the Strat-ford-Main Trunk section of the line-were using the train were varied. Some had business to attend to and would have normally used the mixed goods. One or two were making a special trip for the thrill of travelling by the first express. AU, however, expressed their appreciation of the service in no uncertain terms. “This is corker after all these hard years;” said one woman as she sunk into a comfortable seat with* thoughts of the discomforts of the past. Her remark aptly ; summed up the opinions of all those who had had previously to ride in goods vans, in trains which took almost double the time to make the journey. APPROVAL OF THE SERVICE. Unanimous .expressions of approval of the service were made to a. Dafiy News reporter by passengers over all sections of the. route. Though there were no

commercial travellers on the Taranaki • part of the train there were several in the Wellington section who proposed to make their return to Auckland over the new line. “It will mean a great saying of time for us and will enable us to cover ground that has been rather awkward in the past,” said one. “The new line is certainly a boon for us. I think you will find the service will be-exten-sively used by other, business meh apart from-commercials.” There was possibly a preponderance of Taranaki residents on the train and the same speaker provided the answer to the unspoken question. “You must remember,” he continued, “that the general public has not realised what the line, means to anything the same extent you Taranaki people have who have been watching its progress for years. Lots of people at Auckland, for instance, hardly know the service has begun. When they do they will be using the line, you can be sure.” “I often come to Taranaki and I’ve been putting off this trip for a fortnight or more because I heard the line was being opened for through traffic,” said a North Auckland dairy farmer. “In my young days ! used to ride through the Ohura on horseback. It’s a great change to go through by train, and it means a lot to me.” Hawera passengers were particularly pleased with the service and provided a definite indication that the train would be extensively used by them. They were in an awkward position as far as travel to Auckland was concerned, they explained. -Both road and rail were formerly very inconvenient in comparison with the new route. The carriages' used -on the Taranaki section of the train were the same- as those until recently runniing on the New Plymouth-Wellington express as far as the first class was concerned. The type of second class coach was the same as that now used on the Main Trunk trains. There was also. .a. sleeper attached. • The train staff for the section from Taumarunui to New Plymouth belongs to Taumarunui and will travel from there to New Plymouth each morning, returning to Taumarunui tire same night on the northbound express and reaching there at 12.50 the next morning. The first train was driven by Engine-driver F. Watts and was conducted by Guard W. Wilson. TRAIN FROM NEW PLYMOUTH. NORTHBOUND SERVICE POPULAR. The first through New PlymouthAuckland express, which left New Plymouth 'at 7.10 p.m. yesterday, was very well patronised. The reserved seat bookings were sufficiently heavy to cause the Railway Department to add another carriage to cater for passengers for Taumarunui and stations on this side. There was a large crowd at the New Plymouth station to watch the departure of the train. ' Three passengers had reserved firstclass seats from New Plymouth to Auckland and twelve had second-class seats reserved. There were eight first-class and 13 second-class seats reserved from Stratford to Auckland and 12 secondclass reservations from Ohura to Auckland. ' One berth in the sleeping coach was reserved from Whangamomona. In the extra carriage there were seven reservations for Taumarunui and six for . Ohura. ... When the train pulled out o£ the sta-

tion it carried 36 passengers and it left behind it a hundred or two people on the platform. Long before 8.23 the Stratford station was thronged with a crowd of about 200 and the deep whistle of the approaching express caused a thrill which other whistles do not. When the train drew in there was little room to move upon the platform and the crowd was excited in orderly fashion. The second-class accommodation originally provided, one car, was found to be insufficient at 3 o’clock yesterday afternoon and a fourth car was added to the three at New Plymouth. Twenty-five bookings at Stratford alone, however, almost filled the extra car. The guard told a News reporter that with the additions almost certain along the line it was possible that the extra car would go to Auckland. No official ceremony was arranged, but sufficient delay was caused to postal officials and porters by the crowded nature of the station to make the train a couple of minutes late in leaving. In the meantime it was not possible to reach, within speaking distance of carriage windows, and a circle gathered round Engine . 814 as the driver gave it a little attention. The train drew out shortly after 8.30 with a passenger list of over 70.