Cheap Travel Facilities.

Last year the British railways issued what were known as “summer tickets,” enabling third-class passengers to travel at a penny a mile. This move was largely made with the idea of regaining business lost to road. So successful has the venture proved, that recently it has been decided to continue the issue of these penny-a-mile tickets for another year, or until the end of 1934. Before the issue of the “penny-a-mile” ticket, third-class travel cost 1 1/2d. a mile. Now third-class fares are on a pre-war basis.

All the European railways are reducing their passenger fares as opportunity permits, while special cheap travel facilities of various types are being introduced for party travel, excursion movement, and the like. In Germany an innovation is the introduction of what are style “Netzkarte” tickets, literally “net tickets,” available for one month over the entire railway system of 33,650 miles. By expending 250 marks (say £15 12s.) on a third-class ticket, a passenger who cares to set up a new record can now travel nine miles for less than one penny. District “net tickets” also are issued, costing 120 marks secondclass, and entitling holders to unlimited travel throughout 4,000 miles of railway.