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The New Zealand Railways Magazine, Volume 7, Issue 7 (December 1, 1932)

The Railways — For Speed And Service

page 31

The Railways
For Speed And Service.

“By covering the 152.7 miles from Crewe to Willesden in 142 minutes start to stop,” states the Railway Gazette, “one of the up-Liverpool expresses of the L.M.S.R. will, during the coming summer, gain for that line the world's record for high speed (64.5 m.p.h.) over so great a distance.”

“And so the alleged fast-decaying railways demonstrate their virility. There is a sporting element in this competition, for railway speed records, which is very cheering in these times of sadness and depression. It is not to be taken as mere spectacular advertisement, either, for the acceleration movement is spreading in every direction.

“In this very issue we describe something of what is being done by the L.M.S.R. to improve the rapid transit of goods, and our article may be taken as indicative of what is going on, not only on that system but also on all the others. If express and freight trains are receiving such consideration, so also are the humbler local, cross-country, and semifasts.

“We have good reason to believe that the winter time-tables will show an all-round speeding up of such trains, which will do much, not merely to retain and gain patronage, but to effect important further working economies by means of quicker turn-round of motive power and rolling-stock.

“And, perhaps most important of all, this tendency has its inevitable reaction upon the morale of everyone concerned in maintaining it.”

Bearing on this question of service capacity, the Taranaki Herald comments thus upon a New Zealand incident:—

“A discussion took place recently between a prominent New Plymouth business man and the railway stationmaster as to the freight tariff when the new Stratford-Main Trunk railway line was opened. The merchant mentioned that a short time since a consignment of about 6cwt. of plants for Australia had gone to Wellington by road transport at a cost of 5/6 per cwt., and it was suggested that the freight was cheaper than that by rail, and also quicker.

“The proposition was said to have been put to a Wellington transport company at New Plymouth on a Wednesday. They were asked if they could land the packages in Wellington by the Thursday night for shipment on the Friday morning. This company was said to be unwilling to give the required guarantee as to the time of arrival. However, another firm undertook the contract, and the goods were accepted by this road firm at 5/6 per cwt.

“The stationmaster made a few astute enquiries, and was struck by the coincidence that the second firm named had negotiated with him on the same Wednesday, and the were informed that if the packages were at rail by 4 p.m. that day they would be in Wellington by Thursday night, at a cost of 20/4 (about 3/4 per cwt.). The packages actually did go by rail.

“The stationmaster is still smiling, but the incident shows that the Railway Department is in a position to give guarantees and a quick service, and it also shows the value of co-ordination between the carrying company in question and the Railway Department, a co-ordination which could be carried into greater effect if consignors would always consult the Department first.”

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