RAILWAY SERVICES

Waipa Post, Volume 41, Issue 3188, 14 August 1930, Page 5

RAILWAY SERVICES

CONSIDERATION OF KING COUNTRY TIMETABLES. APPEAL FOR GREATER PATRONAGE. When, a month ago, it became known that the Railway Department had included Feilding as a stopping place for the night Limited expresses, immediate representations were made for the extension of similar facilities to Te Awamutu and Te Kuiti. The Department replied to the Te Awamutu Chamber of Commerce that any variation in the schedule of these expresses would conflict with other important trains, and it was therefore regretted the request could not be acceded to. This letter was considered by the Council of the_ Chamber, and referred to one of its m'embers to take up personally with the Department. In consequence the following report was presented at last Tuesday’s meeting:— “I at once communicated with Mr Broadfoot, and he arranged an interview. Owing to his absence from Wellington, we were unable to confer with Mr Sterling, Mr Mackley taking note of our representations on his behalf. It would be impossible to cover the whole of the discussion, which lasted for over an hour, in this report. The Department, I may say, placed before I us all information to enable a complete investigation of the claims. One cannot fail to be impressed with the difficulties encountered by the Department in the arrangement of its traffic schedules, interwoven with which are the varying classes of traffic for which the Department has to cater. Looking on from the outside it would appear quite simple to arrange a timetable serving a given area, but when seen from the Department’s records, local trains become directly involved in the planning of the main traffic service, which in their turn must make connections with all branch lines. It is well in the consideration of every local application to bear in mind these important facts, for we can very properly appreciate that the Department is faced with the problem of serving a very wide area. “I endeavoured to make it plain that in any reference to the inclusion of Feilding, this Chamber wished particularly to avoid any suggestion of protest against that stoppage, and that reference to Feilding, therefore, was merely by way of comparison. Compared with Te Awamutu, Feilding has double the number of trains. Moreover, the inclusion of Feilding deprived the Department of any contention that the Limited Expresses are designed solely for the through passenger traffic. It also deprived the Department of the contention that the stoppages at wayside stations are made only for engine purposes. On neither of these grounds can the stoppage be justified. Therefore, the whole problem resolved itself into one of single track difficulties. The timetable of passenger services catering for traffic at Te Awamutu twenty years ago and now, was pointed out, stress being laid on the fact that the timetable to-day is practically identical with that provided twenty years ago. Owing to the changing conditions, I pointed out that the timetable as it stands leaves the Department exposed to the full force of motor competition, and that apart from better suiting our convenience, it was, matter of business policy, essential to the Department that it should make a bolder bid to recapture and hold the passenger traffic by providing services at hours more likely to suit public convenience, and thereby attract wider patronage. This led to a very complete survey of the existing timetable. In this there at once come the conflicting interests of what is unquestionably the biggest traffic, namely, to Auckland, with that which turns on the branch lines from Frankton. The idea was to discover, if possible, some alternative to the stopping of the Limited expresses. I think this phase will be fully considered by the Department. “As to the Limited expresses, the Department’s difficulty here is undoubtedly a very real one, but I do think every endeavour will be -made to extend the usefulness of these trains to the boroughs on the Frank-ton-Taumarunui section. Of one thing we can be perfectly sure, that a thorough enquiry will be made, and whatever can be done will be done. That was the impression I gathered as a result of the discussion. Our interview closed with the promise of a thorough enquiry, and I am convinced in my own mind that every effort will be made to improve our services. We will be informed in due course.

“In connection with the railway services there is one fact which I do not think can be too strongly stressed, and that is that patronage of the railways must* be a vital factor in the nature of the services the Department can provide. Therefore, it is a logical conclusion that every resident of this district who diverts his patronage to the road services makes more remote the prospect of improved railway services. I think we can concede, no matter whaj; claims are made to the contrary, that the railways are, and must remain, the chief mode of transportation in this country. Therefore, the responsibility is on the people to determine the extent of those services. It would be indeed inconsistent for us as a Chamber to ask for improved railway facilities unless we are prepared to encourage added patronage to justify these services. Those of us who have watched the drift of passenger traffic through recent years realise how patronage has been diverted, until to-day it is questionable whether 25 per cent of the passenger traffic here utilises the railway. This condition of things is not the result of public choice, but is rather the outcome of a time table which is not in keeping with present day requirements. If, therefore, the Department can find the means of catering better for our needs, then the responsibility will certainly be ours to use every endeavour in regaining a due measure of traffic for the Department. Feeling sure that this would be the attitude of the Chamber, I had no hesitation in pledging our efforts in that direction. We may await with interest the result of the enquiry that will be

made as the result of the interview. Personally, I feel that improved services in some form will come about. What I would like to emphasise particularly, is that whereas we expect from the Department improved services, we, for our part, must be prepared to give increased patronage.” Mr McArthur considered the report had stressed a very vital factor —that of patronage justifying the services. He felt that nothing further should be done concerning the improvement of the timetables in the belief that the Department would do all that was possible. It would be for the Chamber to help secure additional recognition of the importance of the railways and increased patronage so that the additional facilities provided would be fully justified.

Mr Downes advanced the view that the recommendations made in the report were of much wider significance. He would like to see the report published, not merely in Te Awamutu, but throughout the Dominion. The president concurred. He suggested the report should be issued as a circular to all Chambers of Commerce as one way of stressing on the people the urgent need for greater recognition of the railway services. A general discussion ensued as to the most effective way of gaining publicity for the matters referred to in the report. Mr Downes moved that a copy of this report be sent to all Chambers, the Association to be asked to join in the circulation of the report.—This was agreed to. A cordial vote of thanks was accorded the member for the district, Mr W. J. Broadfoot for his support to these representations.