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The New Zealand Railways Magazine, Volume 5, Issue 7 (December 1, 1930)

Effects of Road Competition in Italy

Effects of Road Competition in Italy.

Just how the European lines are suffering through road competition is demonstrated by recent figures from Italy. During the year ending June 30, 1929, some two million less passenger tickets were sold than in the previous year, while freight tonnage also was considerably reduced through road competition. According to a report just issued by the British Department of Overseas Trade, the Italian State Railways had a total trackage at June 30, 1930, of 15,969 kilometres. Of this trackage some 1,625 kilometres were operated by electricity, the introduction of electric traction reducing locomotive coal requirements for the year by about 60,000 tons. Steam and electric locomotives, numbered 6,660; passenger coaches 8,842, luggage and postal vans 4,372, and goods wagons 154,509. In 1928 there were some 86,000 motor cycles in Italy, 142,000 motor cars, 6,800 motor buses, and 40,000 motor lorries, carrying an annual traffic of roughly 5,000 million passenger kilometres and 700 million ton kilometres of freight.