Our Railways Safety Record.

The total expenditure of the New Zealand Railways upon signalling equipment up to 1930 has been £2,579,060. A large proportion of this has, of course, been incurred only in recent years, as it is during this time that the most rapid progress has been made in developing inventions for securing expedition in transport with safety in operation. From the public safety point of view there can be only one answer to the question “has this expenditure been worth while?”

In the four years from 1907 to 1910 inclusive—when the railway passenger business was far lighter than it is at present—there were 27 fatal accidents to train passengers. During the last four years, from 1927 to 1930 inclusive, there has not been a single fatal accident to passengers due to train accidents, although during this period over 100 million passenger journeys have been made on the State Railways of New Zealand.

Modern signalling practice, including interlocking systems introduced at principal yards and junctions, has had much to do with this improvement.

In the provision of protection devices at road crossings the Department has also spent heavily in recent years. Up to 1910 the total expenditure upon road protection at level crossings amounted to only £11,761. whilst up to 1930 the amount was £135,816.

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