RAILWAY DISCOMFORTS.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 16324, 13 January 1921, Page 7

RAILWAY DISCOMFORTS.

REFORM DEMANDED IN NORTH. Strong support is given by’ the Auckland : * Herald ” to the statements made in a recent article in the “Star ” referring to the conditions prevailing on the North Alain Trunk railway. Tho “ Herald ” says:— North Island travellers are habituated to railway discomforts. ’.»ut they have a sufficient sense of the shortcomings of the Main Trunk service io ondoise every count of the indictment preferred by a Christchurch journalist Insufficient sleepers, dirty and unwholesome and poorly equipped lavatories, long stop:*, the frequent and wholly unnecessary inspection of tickets during tho night hours, these uro nome of the disagreeable features which have for years characterised the Main Trunk journey. They have evoked continual complaint, und suggestions for improvement have many times been made in our columns. Perhaps the railway management deemed such criticism ro be another instance of North Island particularism. If so, it may be commended to study the estimate of a Christchurch traveller, who. accustomed to the comfort and speed of the South Island trains, expresses his feelings with refreshing freedom. The truth is that the conditions of travel between Auckland and Wellington demand complete* revision. The travelling time is still far too long, and tho ease with which trains make up lost timo suggests that they are running on a very ample margin. There is still a perpetual shortage of sleeping carriages : during holiday seasons all classes of carriage:) arc grossly overcrowded, much of the rolling stock j employed is fit only for the scrap-heap, | and the lavatory accommodation is so J insufficient and defective that by the | end of the long journey the conditions j come dangerously near to being in sail itarv. If the General Manager of i Railways believes criticism of the {Alain Trunk service to be - coloured, ■ let him, during the present holiday season, travel under the conditions to ' which a second-class passenger or even i a first-class passenger without a sleeping berth has to submit. H would { be all the better for the railway serI vice if he took an officer of the Public | Health Department to share his exI periences. Many of the deficiencies ! arise from a shortage of modern rolling stock. Uotk goods and passenger serj vices in both islands are suffering from the same handicap, and there will be no permanent improvement until trie Department owns workshops capable or manufacturing all the- carriages, trucks and engines its requires. Temporary relief has been sought by placing orders overseas, but while this was unavoidable as an emergency measure it is not to bo recommended as a permanent policy. The railways can be best served by their own workshops, and the sooner the Minister authorises the erection of a new and extensive shop in some such central position as I< ranktoil Junction, the sooner will he. be able to place modern rolling stock oa t-lie Alain Trunk line.