ON HOLIDAY

Waikato Times, Volume 123, Issue 20690, 28 December 1938, Page 4

ON HOLIDAY

EXODUS FROM TOWN MANY HAMILTONIANS AWAY RAILWAY ACTIVITY AT FRANKTON More Hamilton residents are on holiday than is usual over the Christmas and New Year vacation in the opinion of several tradesmen who have noticed in their daily round with provisions that the number of customers has dwindled. This is substantiated by the heavy bookings handled at the Frankton Junction Railway Station during the Christmas week-end. Operations were normal at the junction to-day but it was merely a respite for the staff before another busy week-end over the new year. The Christmas period was an exceptionally busy three days for the staff with all the normal expresses and Practically every one of the special trains filled to capacity. Hundreds of Hamiltonians departed from the station over Christmas. The peak period was on Saturday, four expresses leaving for Wellington and eight expresses arriving from Wellington. The New Plymouth, Rotorua and Tauranga expresses were also well filled.

Returning Home Many holiday-makers returned home yesterday but it was apparent that a large number of people who had departed during the week-end were bound on an annual vacation from which they will probably not return for a week or a fortnight or even a longer period. Exceptionally large crowds were handled on the special race trains to Auckland on Monday and yesterday. For New Year tlie bookings on the expresses from Frankton bound both north and south are generally heavy. The limited and other normal expresses are full while the specials are well booked. Indications are that rail traffic will again be heavy next weekend.