Rail-Road Co-ordination.

Very considerable progress continues to be made by the European railways in the co-ordination and development of rail and road passenger and freight traffic. At Home, the policy of co-operating with existing road transport undertakings and municipalities has been followed, and agreements made by the railways with many of the most important road carrying concerns. The railways have also acquired a financial interest in omnibus companies, but in no case a controlling interest. Joint committees, consisting of an equal number of representatives of the railway and the road company, have been constituted to agree upon measures by which the services of the two modes of transport can best be co-ordinated.

In virtue of the agreements come to and the policy pursued, the Home railways are already in a position to offer better services to the public. Inter-availability of rail and road tickets has been established between some 850 points.

In all, the Home railways are interested in the running of 12,000 passenger buses and 4,900 road vehicles for parcels and freight movement.