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The New Zealand Railways Magazine, Volume 10, Issue 3 (June 1, 1935)

Railway Situation in Europe

Railway Situation in Europe.

That exceptionally active organisation, the International Railway Congress Association, recently published a comprehensive report on the general railway situation in Europe, and the measures taken by the railways to combat trade depression and road competition. Dr. Cottier, of the Swiss Federal Railways, and Reichsbahn-direktor von Beck, of the German National Railways, are the authors; and they state that in several European lands the economic crisis reached its peak in 1932, and since then it has become less serious. In Britain, Germany, France, Austria, Switzerland and Norway, increased business is now coming to the railways. In other European countries, however, the economic situation and traffic condition show no improvement.

After noting that the bettered conditions in Britain and the other lands named have largely been secured through lowering railway rates and charges, the report remarks that passenger traffic losses are due mainly to the growth in the number of private motor-cars and motor-cycles. The losses the railways suffer through bus competition are regarded as slight. On the freight side, losses have been caused by the modern arrangement for large commercial undertakings to operate their own fleets of collection and delivery motors. As regards road transport contractors, the competition of these organisations is keenest in the long-distance services and for merchandise paying the higher rates.