The Stratford Railway.

As announced by Mr. H. H. Sterling, Chairman of the Government Railways Board, the StratfordOkahukura railway line is likely to be opened for regular traffic on September 3. The line has not yet been finally inspected on behalf of the Railway Department, but a preliminary inspection has been made and it is not expected that any difficulty to prevent the working of the line on the date named will arise.

Special cars for the new service will be attached to the Limited express from Auckland on the nights when the train is being run to New Plymouth. The additional loading will be made possible by the use of the new “K” engines, which have an ample margin of power to haul the heavier load and still maintain the present schedule. The first train under the new time-table will leave Auckland, connected to the Limited express, on Sunday, September 3.

The time-table for passenger trains is as follows:—

The departure time from Auckland will be 7.0 p.m. on Sundays, Tuesdays and Thursdays, and from Taumarunui at 12.45 a.m., to arrive at New Plymouth at 6.1 a.m. on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. From New Plymouth the train will leave at 7.10 p.m. on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, and from Stratford at 8.31 p.m., arriving at Auckland at 7.6 a.m. the next day.