The New Zealand Railways Magazine, Volume 7, Issue 1 (May 1, 1932.)
European Passenger Time-tables
European Passenger Time-tables.
The business of the Conference was to arrange the principal European passenger time-tables for the summer of 1932, and the winter of 1932–1933. Representatives from twenty-nine countries were in attendance, and on the completion of the more serious business, educational trips were made by the delegates over the various Home railway systems. The statutes of the European Time-table Conference define its aims as being to decide general questions relating to international passenger train services, the arrangement of international communications by rail and waterway, and the amelioration of Customs service and passport verification at frontier stations. Steamship lines, sleeping and dining-car undertakings and aerial transport concerns engaged in international services, are also parties to the Conference. The value of the work accomplished by this body of experts throughout its sixty-year history will be appreciated when it is realised that to make an alteration in the running of a single European longdistance train sometimes involves nearly a dozen different administrations. For example, if an alteration is suggested in the Simplon-Orient Express, ten railways will probably have to amend their time-tables; while a change in the running of the Ostend-Vienna-Constantinople Express might upset the train times of eleven administrations.