GREAT RUSH OF PASSENGERS.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 18644, 22 December 1928, Page 2

GREAT RUSH OF PASSENGERS.

NEARLY 3000 PEOPLE LEAVE CITY TO-DAY BY EXPRESS TRAINS. The rush of holiday traffic was probably at its peak to-day, when nearly 3000 passengers left the Christchurch railway station by the express trains, in addition to the numbers who travelled by the ordinary trains. The south expresses, of which there were four, carried approximately 1970 passengers, but there were also 550 people who . travelled to the West Coast in two expresses, and about 200 who left by the Parnassus express, which connects with motor services to Kaikoura and Blenheim. To cope with the great rush of passengers the staff at the station has been augmented by bringing on as many men Jrom the other branches of the service as could be spared, and the stationmaster (Mr H. Lowry) was able to get all the trains away on the tick of time. The ordinary express train for Invercargill, which left at 8.50, comprised fifteen passenger cars and three vans. It was loaded to capacity, there being about 600 passengers who left from Christchtirch. A relief express left for Dunedin at 9.10 with 650 passengers, and it also was of the maximum length, consisting of seventeen cars and one van. The 12.25 express for Dunedin, which consisted of fifteen cars and two vans, left with a full complement of passengers. As there was still a fairly large number of people anxious to travel south, an extra express was run to Dunedin, leaving at 12.45 with about 200 passengers. This was the only express for the south that was not fully booked up. A special express left for the West Coast at 8.40 with a total of nearly 200 passengers, and the ordinary West Coast express, which left at 10.20, took about 350 peopl-e. Five extra cars had to be added to the express which left for Invercargill last night, making a total of ten cars, including two sleeping cars and two Monday will be another very heavy day for the railways, as a large number of people will not commence their holidays until then. This year the final rush of traffic is being divided between to-day and Monday owing to Monday being observed as a holiday by mamfirms. • The new inquiry bureau which was recently opened at the Christchurlh station is proving very popular with travellers, and to-day the clerk in charge was kept going at hivh pressure answering inquiries and supplying literature setting out the attractions of various resorts. The telephone for passenger inquiries is connected to this bureau, and this morning it was in use almost without a break. It is hoped to have another telephone installed at an early date.