EASTER HOLIDAY RUSH ON RAILWAYS CONTINUES; HEAVY EXPRESS TRAINS

Wanganui Chronicle, 19 April 1949, Page 4

EASTER HOLIDAY RUSH ON RAILWAYS CONTINUES; HEAVY EXPRESS TRAINS

With many people return, ng home after the long Easter weekend, passenger iratlic was again heavy yesterday and all Main 'trunk expresses running between between Wellington and Auckland were fully booked. In addition to the ordinary trains there were three specials. Traffic on the Wellington-Wangaaiui-New Plymouth line was also heavy.

A relief express, consistsing o£ eight cars and a van, left Wanganui at 11.55 a.m. yesterday for Wellington and a similar train will also run today, when traffic will again be above normal. A relief express also ran from Wellington to Wanganui yesterday, the ouject of these trains being to relieve congestion on the ordinary expresses.

Even so, the express from New Plymouth to Wellington yesterday had nine passenger cars and more than 300 people on board when it reached Aramoho Junction a few minutes late. The express from Wellington to New Plymouth was also very heavy yesterday. Many people working late on Thursday and required to resume again this morning availed themselves of a special night express which left Wellington at 10 o’clock for New Plymouth. The return special from New Plymouth to Wellington ran last night and practically every seat was reserved in advance. This train left New Plymouth at 9.35 and was due to pass through Aramoho Junction early this morning.

The express from New Plymouth to Auckland last night was also heavily booked, and as tne homeward trek continues all express trains today are likely to be well patronised. In addition to relief expresses between Wellington and Wanganui, one extra express will run each way between Wellington and Auckland.

Though passenger traffic is heavy, the volume of freight in transit has decreased sharply. Most of the tonnage on hand when the goods sheds closed on Thursday for the long weekend has already reached its uestination.

As a result, mixed trains which usually have a string of wagons were very light yesterday, some of them, particularly between Marton and Wanganui, consisting of no more than passenger cars and van. With the approach of the Easter holidays, however, the railways experienced an abnormally busy period last week. Much tonnage was on the move and some particularly heavy freight trains arrived at Marton Junction from the Main Trunk, No freight services were run on Good: Friday, and on Easter Saturday many, of the usual trains were cancelled, but the few which did remain on the timetable were fully loaded. Goods sheds will reopen this morning and within a day or so trallic win be back to normal.