RAILWAY MATTERS.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXVII, Issue 2557, 19 July 1909, Page 4

RAILWAY MATTERS.

ADDITIONAL ROLLING STOCK FOR GISBORNE. While in Wellington last week,, the AJ-iver (Mr W. D. Lysnar) interviewed, the officers of the Railway to ascertain what arrangement _ being made to increase the HttpVff S£e stock on tho Gisbornc-Wjukota railway. The Mayor was assured that arrangements were being made to P vide extra rolling stock for the Lis homo railway, including shce P, goods trucks. He was assured tnat should the station master in charge, -ti Day, make representations for additional plant, it would .be supplied at me earliest opportunity. Mr. Lysnar made strong representations regarding the laying down O f f the rails to the Waihirere quarry. Lniortunately the Minister for Public was absent from Wellington but the Hon. James Carroll, undertook to endeavor to get the work authorised. THE TIME-IAoLE. Oil reaching Napier, Mr. Lysnar made inquiries as to how far the suggested alteration of the time-table oi the Napier-Wellington , railway would affect Gisborne travellers, and, among others, interviewed Mr. F. W. Williams, who was appointed by the JNapier Chamber of Commerce to join with others in bringing the question beiore the Hon. J. A. Millar, Minister for Railways. . . ~ . In speaking to a ‘‘Times reporter on his return on Saturday, Mr. Lysnar said that he did not think the suggested alteration' would inconvenience Gisborne to Wellington travellers. The Napier residents were not asking for any interference with the present express service, and he was assured by Mr. Williams that if there was any risk of that, he for one would use his influence to prevent it. What they did want was that the train which now leaves Napier at 7 a.m., proceeds to Woodville and then returns, should be quickened up and sent on to Palmerston, and thus effect a connection with the Main Trunk express. Such an arrangement would enable a Napier man to reach Wellington at 4.30 p.m., instead of 7.15 p.m., as at. present, and in returning home he would leave Wellington at 11.45 a.m., instead of nearly four hours earlier as at present. Mr. Lysnar expressed a fear that with the. present policy of retrenchment in the air, the granting of the earlier express might ultimately operate detrimentally to Gisborne in the event of its being taken off. His Worshin said that Mr. Williams had assured liim that the Napier people did not desire that state of things to be brought about, and in fact the suggestion had been made that the train should leave Napier at 9 a.m. instead of 8.45 a.m., making up the quarter of an hour by the elimination of several of the smaller stops on the present timetable. They had also advocated the placing of a dining-car on the train to avoid the present delay of 20 minutes at Woodville. That, he thought, would be equally appreciated by Gisborneites. Mr. Lysnar added that an assurance had been, given him by the Acting-Pre-mier, Hon. J. Carroll, that the Government would do nothing that would impair the present connection, and even if it came to the worst, an alternative, lie hoped, that would not occur, that the running should remain as at present on steamer days. NAPJER-GISBORNE RAILWAY. Mr. S. McEernon, of Napier, the representative of the Gisborne Borough Council, upon the East Coast Trunk Railway League, Napier, waited upon tho Mayor on Saturday with respect to the Council taking more aggressive action in the matter, a matter upon which he desired further instructions. The Council’s policy with respect to the Napicr-Gisborne line will accordingly be discussed at the next meeting of the Council. The Mayor states that only about 20 miles of the survey remain to be completed.