The Railways and Safety.

It has been said with truth that the safest place in the whole wide world—so far as freedom from accidents is concerned—is a cosy seat in a modern express train. New Zealand is rightly proud of her rare record for railway safety, and in Britain the safety of the traveller is ever the prime concern of railwaymen of every grade. In 1934, the liability to death or injury in British train accidents worked out at one killed in every 96,000,000 passengers, and one injured in every 3,000,000. During the year, only seventeen passengers were killed in train accidents, and 537 injured. As regards railway employees, twelve men were killed in train accidents in 1934, and 96 injured.

Level crossing mishaps during the year accounted for the death of 31 persons, and injury to 68. The problem of level crossing protection is a somewhat difficult one, and at remote crossings much must necessarily depend upon the caution of the public themselves in making use of the facility. We have two main types of gated level crossings at Home—those on public roads, and those on private roads, known as “occupation” crossings. It is on the latter that most of the mishaps are recorded, and the railways are now collecting data with a view to determining what further measures, if any, may be taken to ensure additional safety at these points. At public road crossings a useful move now being made is the transference of protective signals to a greater distance from the actual crossings, this in view of increasing train speeds.

First-class restaurant-car on the new “Cornish Riviera Limited” trains of the G.W. Railway.

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