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The New Zealand Railways Magazine, Volume 4, Issue 9 (January 1, 1930)

Door-to-door Services in the Homeland

Door-to-door Services in the Homeland.

In the field of railway-owned road motor transport, two items of current interest stand out above others. One is the partial closing of the Broadstone terminal in Dublin as a railway passenger station and its conversion into an omnibus garage, while the other is the development by the Southern Railway of England of a new “door-to-door” collection and delivery service, under which freight is collected and delivered by road motor within distances of ten miles from selected railhead distribution depots. Broadstone station was one of the most important of Irish passenger stations, and its partial conversion into a motor garage is accounted for by the purchase by the Great Southern Railway of the Irish Omnibus Company. Under the new order, several of the tracks are being filled in, and road motor services will take the place of the train for almost all but long-distance working. The Southern Railway of England's new “door-to-door” service promises to become especially popular. The idea underlying the plan is that traffic is conveyed on rail by fast goods trains over long distances from the big manufacturing centres to the nearest distribution centre, where it is transferred to the Southern Railway motors and conveyed direct to destination. In the reverse direction, farm and dairy produce is collected by the railway motors, conveyed by road to railhead, and then sent on by fast goods train to destination—an efficient linking up of the two means of movement, each of which is the best in its own sphere.