RAILWAY MATTERS.

Waikato Times, Volume 105, Issue 17713, 17 May 1929, Page 2

RAILWAY MATTERS.

TE AWAMUTU DISCUSSION. IMPROVEMENT DESIRED. The Te Awamutu Chamber of Commerce, 'at the monthly meeting of its members devoted some time to consideration of railway matters as they affect Te Awamutu and the neighbourhood, and the need for certain improvements. The district engineer, New Zealand Railways, wrote acknowledging the secretary’s letter asking him to consider improvements to the roadway ai Te Awamutu railway station, and also the linking of the stations at Te Mawhai and Te Kawa to the public telephone service. He replied -that he had inspected that station approaches at Te Awamutu, and was arranging for the road and footpath to be put in better order before the winter. The mair entrance would be widened a little. The coat of tar-sealing the road and asphalting the footpath could not be faced in the meantime. Re loading facilities at Te Kawa and Te Mawhia, the Chamber’s representations had been forwarded to the district traffic manager, under whose control such matters were. * ...... Comment was made that the district engineer had avoided reference to the request for public telephones at Te Mawhai and Te Kawa. A reply is to be sent thanking the Department for the promised improvement to tho roadway at Te Awamutu station, and hoping that the other needs had not been overlooked. Sheep maimed. Mr Woodward called attention to the- need for better stock trucking facilities at the station. A large number of sheep had been handled there, and he knew' of several where sheep had ben maimed owing- to congestion of stock (pigs, cattle and sheep). There was urgent need for extension of the loading bank A suggestion was made that the matter be referred to the council foImmediatc investigation, and that.meantime stock-owners could be incited t supply definite Information that would hefp in bringing under the notice of the Railway Department the need for effecting improvements. Time-table Alterations. It was reported that the Railway Department is giving consideration to altering the time table of several of the train services on the Main Trunk Line. Mr Coyne: Will Te Awamutu bene-

flt Mr Warburton said he understood the Department’s new schedule woull provide for several trains leaving Te Awamutu for Auckland etween 6 1 1 35 a.in. Arrival at Auckland "Id be from three to lour hour, 13 mVcomic sad a 6 am. train wouW nrovc very popular. Ihe 11. JO a-m----train would suit families travel in S--1 Mr Woodward agreed, and said the limited express could easily be sellerS to Stop at To Awamutu without inconvenience or loss of . could not understand why the De P art rnent refused to make Te and Te Kutti stopping places for the Lim Warburton said that the present time-table was most inconvenient to passengers joining express at stations immediately soutn of Frankton, and the hour at which that' express ran was unquestionably responsible for the diversion of tra - 11c to service cars, which were avaU 'ihip of a more convenient hour, i £ running ot the express; would do much to meet this < c ° mpet . l | ther e The chairman said he noticed were protests in the north about the proposal to alter the Whangarei express time-table to synchronise with the Main Trunk , trains. Mr Warburton said the Department s proposed hours of running would prove attractive to families going on holiday from Te Awamutu district and for Ss class of traffic the p railway would regain passengers - frora thc service cars. The hours however would not be wholly advantageous to those who, for business or lor attend-, ance at sporting fixtures, desired full dav in Auckland. It was not unlikely he considered, the service cars woufd adjust their time-tables to catei for this demand. The wider district in and around Te Awamutu would be served if the time-, table providedL for departure at about 6 am. and arrival in Auckland at about 9 a.m. Certainly the running of this express at a later tiour than at present would prove advantageous to districts south of Frankton The Department should be asked W maintain a service on the Main Trunk section enabling mails to be run from Frankton and Auckland in time for the early morning deliveries in the cit}. So long as existing secondary services were not disturbed, the night carriage of minis would be possible, and in any ultimate re-arrangement this should be carefully watched. Continuing, Mr.. Warburton said that regarding thc’nlght limited express train the Chamber should point out that Te Awamutu and Te Kuiti are the only boroughs along the Main Trunk section (Frankton to Marton) at which these expresses do not stop, and it shoull be asked to authorise stoppages at these two centres. The secretary was instructed to write to the Minister, of Railways and the member for the district, asking that these points be considered carefully. The postmaster is also to bo written to asking him to watch carefully the proposals of the Railway Department to vary running of the north-hound expresses.