Rail-Road Co-ordination in Britain and France.

In a recent paper read by Mr. Roger T. Smith (formerly electrical engineer of the page 21 Great Western Railway) at a meeting of the Societe Francaise des Electriciens, Paris, the interesting point was brought out that, as a result of working agreements reached between the Home railways and the road carriers, there will be no need in the future for the railways to embark upon electrifications solely with the object of meeting road competition. Numerous Home suburban electrifications were completed largely with this end in view, but the changed order of things has

A Peep at Picturesque Holland.
The approach viaduct to Rotterdam Central Passenger Station.

entirely altered the situation. France is following with interest the progress made in rail-road co-ordination in Britain, and the policy of the French railways in handling road competition takes much the same lines as that of the Home railways.

In France there are in use some 757,700 passenger-carrying road vehicles; 328,500 motor cycles and side-cars; and 330,700 commercial trucks. In the main, road transport services running in direct competition with the French railways are not encouraged by the Government. Support is, however, given by the French Government to motor services acting as feeders to the railways. Through the utilisation of railway-operated road transport, the French railways are hoping to extend their influence into territory as yet untapped, and also to provide on a greater scale convenient store-door services embracing both rail and highway conveyance. Road services are replacing rail services on many French branch lines, while on other branch routes steam and petrol rail-motors are being largely employed. Public opinion in France now insists that taxes or burdens should not be unequally placed upon the several modes of transportation, and Government encouragement of rail-road co-ordination is recognised as an important need.