Our Railways Safety Record.

The total expenditure of the New Zealand Railways upon signalling equipment up to 1930 has been £2,579,060. A large proportion of this has, of course, been incurred only in recent years, as it is during this time that the most rapid progress has been made in developing inventions for securing expedition in transport with safety in operation. From the public safety point of view there can be only one answer to the question “has this expenditure been worth while?”

In the four years from 1907 to 1910 inclusive—when the railway passenger business was far lighter than it is at present—there were 27 fatal accidents to train passengers. During the last four years, from 1927 to 1930 inclusive, there has not been a single fatal accident to passengers due to train accidents, although during this period over 100 million passenger journeys have been made on the State Railways of New Zealand.

Modern signalling practice, including interlocking systems introduced at principal yards and junctions, has had much to do with this improvement.

In the provision of protection devices at road crossings the Department has also spent heavily in recent years. Up to 1910 the total expenditure upon road protection at level crossings amounted to only £11,761. whilst up to 1930 the amount was £135,816.

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Inter-Island Traffic.

In May, 1925, the Railway Department introduced a system providing for the through booking of passengers, parcels and goods by rail and sea between stations in the North and South Islands. Prior to that time passengers travelling from one Island to the other had perforce to suffer the inconvenience of obtaining their boat tickets at one or other of the towns or ports where offices of the steam ship companies were located. Similarly, the existing facilities for the through transportation of parcels and goods traffic were not sufficiently attractive to encourage the growth of any great volume of traffic between the two Islands.

Under the new system these disabilities have disappeared. Passengers from one Island to the other are now able to obtain steamer tickets and berth reservations together with their railway tickets at the station from which they commence their journey. Similarly, a consignor at a station in the North or South Island, by simply filling in the usual consignment note, is assured of the prompt conveyance of his goods to any station in either Island.

Some idea of the extent to which the railway through booking system has established itself in the favour of the public is gained from the fact that since its inception in 1925, 31,153 passengers and 50,935 tons of goods have been dealt with.

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Times Changes.

“Would any one of the present generation recognise the Petone railway station (Wellington) from the following description written a little over thirty years ago?” asks a writer in the Dominion. “The Petone railway station is prettily situated midst weeping willow and other trees, the entrance drive from the Hutt Road having a choice plantation of sycamore trees on each side. For several months in the year these are covered with rich blossoms, which in turn become graceful clusters of berries.”