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The New Zealand Railways Magazine, Volume 6, Issue 7 (February 1, 1932.)

Cross-Channel Traffic

page 38

Cross-Channel Traffic.

A feature of the past summer's passenger business was the very large number of travellers handled between English and Continental points. The Southern and London and North Eastern are the two Home railways most greatly interested in Continental travel, and by the routes of both of these lines record numbers of people have been carried to and from the mainland of Europe.

A Railway-Owned Cross Channel Steamer. The ss. “Isle of Thanet” one of the Southern Railway Fleet.

A Railway-Owned Cross Channel Steamer.
The ss. “Isle of Thanet” one of the Southern Railway Fleet.

To meet the needs of growing business new steamships have been put into service between England and the Continent. One recent addition was the oil-fired steamer “Cote d'Azur,” placed in the Calais-Dover service. This vessel has accommodation for 1,400 passengers, and is a very fast and seaworthy boat. The Southern Railway, too, have struck a new note by introducing into their Continental steamship services a vessel specially designed for the movement of motor cars. This is an excellent example of the manner in which the Home railways are tackling changed conditions brought about by the growth of automobile travel.

Both the Southern Railway of England and the Northern Railway of France are interested in the Calais-Dover sailings, and through these steamship services the railways secure much valuable passenger business. From and to Calais there are through train connections with all corners of Europe, except Holland, owing to her geographical situation, and Spain, on whose frontier a break of track gauge occurs. For Paris there are three through trains daily in each direction, and for Brussels two through trains daily. Calais is the western terminal of the Nord Express (Berlin, Warsaw and Riga); the Rome Express; the Orient Express (Prague, Vienna, Budapest and Buka-rest); the Simplon-Orient Express (Milan, Belgrade, Sofia and Constantinople); and other world-famed longdistance trains.