Fewer Stops on Journey.

“As the passenger business by the Rotorua express trains is essentially a long distance traffic, catering largely for tourists travelling between Auckland and Rotorua—the latter admittedly the principal tourist centre of the Dominion—it has been decided to stop the train on the outward journey only at Newmarket (which is practically a city stop), Pukekohe, Frankton Junction, Hamilton, Morrinsville, Matamata and Putaruru. The stops that are being cut out under the foregoing are Mercer, Tirau, Mamakau, Ngongotaha; the conditional stops at Walton, Waharoa, Hinuera, Okoroire, Ngatira and Tarukenga are also being eliminated. Thus the maximum number of stops will be seven instead of seventeen.

“Owing to the run from Auckland to Frankton Junction now requiring only 2 hours 29 minutes, the Mercer stop, which was previously made for refreshments, is considered to be no longer necessary. The stations eliminated from the new Auckland-Rotorua Limited service are served by other trains, particularly by the 9 a.m. Bay of Plenty express from Auckland and the Frankton to Rotorua local train, the latter being timed to leave Frankton for Rotorua only 26 minutes after the departure of the Rotorua Limited express from Frankton. The local train will act as a ‘set-down’ train following the ‘Limited.’

“The ‘Limited’ from Rotorua for Auckland will leave Rotorua at 10.10 a.m. instead of the present time of 9 a.m., thus giving passengers more time after breakfast to catch the train: and it will arrive in Auckland at 4 p.m.

“One the run in both directions provision is made for a mid-day meal at the Frankton Junction railway refreshment rooms.

“The ‘Rotorua-Auckland Limited’ will stop at the same stations as the ‘Auckland-Rotorua Limited,’ namely, at Putaruru, Matamata, Morrinsville, Hamilton, Frankton Junction, Pukekohe, and Newmarket. A local train, which will run ahead of this ‘Limited’ to Frankton, will pick up passengers and deal with the local traffic much as under the arrangement now operating, except that it is timed to leave Rotorua much later than at present, and its running time is being substantially shortened. Thus it will leave Rotorua at 7.15 a.m. instead of 6 a.m., and arrive at Frankton as at present, namely, 12.10 p.m.

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“From Frankton to Auckland, stops previously made by the Rotorua-Auckland express, which the ‘Rotorua Limited’ will omit, are Ngaruawahia, Huntly, Mercer, Tuakau and Papakura. All these stations will be reasonably served by the Bay of Plenty express from Taneatua, which will leave Frankton Junction at 3.24 p.m., and reach Auckland at 6.30 p.m., as at present.