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Railway Progress in New Zealand
General Manager's Message
Extension of Rail Car Services

An important feature of more than general interest to the public and railwaymen alike will be the commencement on Sunday, the 16th April, of the new rail car service between New Plymouth and Wellington by means of the Standard rail car “Aotea.”

So far as the two rail car services already in operation in New Zealand are concerned, it may be said that both have proved popular in an increasing degree from the time of their inception. The first of these services connects Palmerston North and the Wairarapa with Wellington via the Manawatu Gorge and the Rimutaka Incline (with its exceptional average grade of 3 miles of 1 foot in every 14 feet), and the second provides a newspaper and passenger service between Hokitika, Greymouth and Christchurch, through the 5 ¼ mile Otira Tunnel. However, the rail cars provided on these special services were constructed to suit the routes and purposes for which they were specially designed. This makes them somewhat less attractive from the purely passenger aspect, than the Standard type of rail car the Department has been able to evolve for use on such runs as that between Wellington and New Plymouth.

For this reason I anticipate even more satisfactory results from the new service, which will, as previously announced, be followed by others as the units become available.

I desire to take this opportunity of thanking the Taranaki Chamber of Commerce and other representative bodies for their very real assistance to the Department in arranging a public meeting and assembling from all the centres most vitally concerned, and for giving me an opportunity to discuss with them the proposed time-tables.

In this connection I particularly appreciate the fact that, after the whole case had been fairly stated by the representative men present, a unanimous decision was made in favour of the time-table which is to be inaugurated.

It was an instance of co-operation that stands to the credit of all the participants and that should ensure the desired support of this new transport facility throughout the Taranaki province.

I may say that wherever rail cars have been introduced on our system so far, there has been a marked increase in passenger traffic, and I think that Taranaki, because of the many advantages of the new service, may be expected to respond to the stimulus of faster, cleaner, more comfortable, and more frequent rail transport to an even greater extent.

General Manager.