D.—2

2

The addition made to the train services in the North Island account for 499,951 miles, and in the South Island services for 107,376 miles. The principal additions and alterations involving the extra mileage were : — In the North Island : Extension of Saturday night train Hikurangi to Hukerenui; Auckland suburban services increased and extended north to Swanson and south to Papakura ; express service, Auckland to and from Helensville ; extra train Frankton Junction to Thames and back; morning train, Huntly to Mercer and back on Saturdays ; extra express, Auckland to and from Morrinsville ; motor train between Morrinsville and Putaruru ; extra services between Te Kuiti and Taumarunui; improved services between Wellington and Paekakariki, WellingtonUpper Hutt, Palmerston North - Foxton, Wellington-Woodville ; extra trains run to Te Aro instead of terminating at Lambton (Wellington); extra express between Wellington and Auckland during summer season. Of these services the Hiku-rangi-Hukerenui, Huntly-Mercer, Lambton-Te Aro, Wellington-Auckland second express, and Auckland-Morrinsville expresses diave been discontinued owing to unsatisfactory results. The Putaruru-Morrinsville motor service does not nearly pay operating-expenses, but, as it meets a want in a district that is growing in importance and has few trains, it is being continued and extended in the hope that traffic may be developed in the near future. In the South Island: Workers' train, Christchurch-Templeton; accelerated service, Ashburton-Christchurch, two days per week ; extra train between Methven and Rakaia also, Timaru to Christchurch and back, on one day per week; improved suburban service, Dunedin to Mosgiel and Port Chalmers; workers' train, BluffInvercargill; improved service, Gore-Lumsden and Invercargill-Orepuki-Tuatapere. The Christchurch-Templeton workers' train and the Timaru-Christchurch-Methven and Cheviot Branch Wednesday services proved unpayable, and were consequently discontinued. Floods and slips of a heavy character occurred on several occasions during the year and caused considerable interruption to the train services. The Main Trunk line was blocked for four days from the 20th to 24th June by slips at Poro-o-tarao and Horopito, passengers and mails having to be transhipped by coaches run between Ohakune and Cheviot-Eyreton and Methven lines were flooded on the 11th, 12th, and 13th July; Wellington-Woodville liae interrupted by washouts and slips on the 16th and 17th July. Canter bury-West Coast line was blocked from the 17th to the 20th July by a slip near Broken River, passengers being transhipped by coach. The North Island Main Trunk line was blocked by a slip near Horopito from the 11th to the 16th October, passengers being transhipped by coaches run to and from Ohakune. On the 28th and 29th March heavy floods in Southland caused suspension of traffic until the 31st March, when train services were resumed between Clinton-Invercargill-Kingston, and on Waimea Plains, Waikaka, Forest Hill, and Seaward Bush lines. The Nightcaps and Tuatapere lines resumed working on the Ist April, and Wyndham and Mararoa Branches later. On the 29th March a heavy flood in the Rangitata River damaged the railwaybridge, rendering it unsafe for trains to cross. Passengers were transferred to trains on either side, but it was not until the 2nd April that repairs were sufficiently far advanced to make the bridge safe for the passage of trains drawn by light engines. The following figures, which give the record of the late arrival of the principal trains during the year, indicate that, notwithstanding various alterations made in the train services and the difficulties encountered in connection with and arising out of floods, slips, and other unforeseen and unavoidable circumstances, the trains as a whole have maintained punctuality. Average Late Arrival. Mm. Mm. For long-distance passenger trains ... ... 1-67 against 2-23 last year. For suburban trains ... ... ... ... 056 ~ 0-52 „ For long-distance mixed trains... ... ... 2-58 ~ 2-99