Other formats

    TEI XML file   ePub eBook file  

Connect

    mail icontwitter iconBlogspot iconrss icon

The New Zealand Railways Magazine, Volume 2, Issue 11 (March 1, 1928)

Editorial — The Spirit Of Service

page 2

Editorial
The Spirit Of Service.

The old idea that work was the primal curse is being superseded in these modern days by a new conception, where work is regarded as a kind of game in which proficiency brings joys such as the sheerest idleness could never produce.

That the new notion has made much headway in the Railway Service of this Dominion there is ample evidence to demonstrate.

Since the first issue of this magazine—almost two years ago—a page has been set aside regularly in which the remarks of those who have desired to express appreciation of the service rendered them by various branches and on the respective sections have been published. Letters of this kind have now become so frequent that space is available for only a small proportion of them, but they may be regarded as one reliable measure of the progress made in bringing satisfaction to the public who travel by and in other ways make use of the State transportation services.

In another column we publish a tribute from an overseas traveller who, upon completion of a railway tour from Auckland to Dunedin, took the trouble to write to the Mail Agent representing the N.Z.R. on one of the trans-Pacific liners, testifying to the universal courtesy and assistance received from every railway official and employee.

With indications such as these for a guide it may safely be concluded that the general standard of personal service rendered to the public by the staff of our system stands at an exceptionally high level.

But service means more than merely the attitude adopted by the staff in their personal relations with the public, important though this is. It includes the provision of facilities that will increasingly add to the pleasure and safety of travel by rail and to the protection and promptness of transit accorded to commodities entrusted to the Railway's care. On this phase of service much progress has also been recorded. When a world traveller sends for the guard of the “Limited,” as happened the other day, for the sole purpose of informing him that the sleeping car provided was the most comfortable, and the most replete with aids to travel pleasure of any he had found in all countries visited, it helps to give the men of the service pride in the trains they are handling, besides showing that the spirit of service is alive throughout the whole organisation—the spirit that causes cars to be designed and built to ensure travel comfort and that prompts drivers to manage their trains with the utmost smoothness.

The fact is that for express services—that is, for train services where the volume of traffic warrants the prosecution of a progressive policy—the attention given to the reouirements of passengers, both in the way of equipment and personal service, is in advance of what the average traveller expects. And this is exactly as it should be.

page 3

When the average passenger finds it hard to think of anything practical that could be done to improve the service it is a sure indication that the “spirit of service” within the Service is right. When we can surprise the public by the care we take of them and the provision we make for them, we are functioning in the right way to increase business.

Given that the “on rail” service is proceeding along right lines, the feature to which attention must now be devoted is the “to and from station” phase of transport; and the indications, both in New Zealand and in other countries, are that this will never be quite satisfactory until the railways provide the connecting services, both for passengers and freight, at each end of the rail journey.

Picnic Traffic.
Popularity of the Rail.

The progress made in popularising the railway for pienic traffic is strikingly exemplified in the most recent figures available for the Northern District of the South Island. In the four weeks ended 4th February nearly 15,000 picnickers were carried in this way, the revenue amounting to £2,170—a record for the month.

How great has been the improvement may be judged by the fact that the revenue to date during the last two years from this source in the South Island Northern District has totalled £12,540, whilst in the two years 1925 and 1926, it amounted to only £5,406.

Evidence of this kind proves conclusively how the public will respond to propaganda (for Canterbury in particular has made special efforts to build up this traffic) and how well suited the Department is to give satisfactory service for the transport of mass parties on pleasure bent.

Huge Passenger Station.

Plans were recently approved (and construction work commenced) on a large new railway station for the city of Cincinnati, U.S.A. The Pennsylvania, and the six other railroads which operate trains in and out of that city, are collaborating in this project, which has been described as one of the most important in the transportation history of the States. The new station terminal is to cost approximately £10,000,000, and, when completed, will be one of the finest and most up-to-date railway terminals in the world. The station is to be of the through type, thus enabling the maximum number of trains to be received and dispatched daily. The Traffic congestion is being provided against by elevating the passenger tracks above the freight tracks.

In a country where there are 22,000,000 motor vehicles, and thousands of miles of good roads, the expenditure of such an immense sum of money on a railway station terminal can be regarded as an important vote of confidence in the future of rail transportation.

Mr. G. S. Lynde, O.B.E., A.M.I.Mech.E., M.I. Lcco.E., Chief Mcchanical Engineer of the New Zealand Railways, leaves for Australia by the S.S. Maunganui on 2nd March, to attend, as New Zealand's representative, the Australian and New Zealand Railways General Officers' Conference. This year's Conference will be held in Melbourne.

Regarding The N.Z.R. Magazine.

From Hon. F. F. Hockley, M.P. (Chairman of Committee) N.Z. Parliament:—

Let me congratulate you on the Magazine, it is excellent from every standpoint.

Olympic Games.
Apprentice-Fitter A. J. Cleverley chosen.

Shall New Zealand Railways be Represented?

In our January number reference was made to the fine athletic record standing to the credit of Mr. A. J. Cleverley, an apprentice fitter at Petone Railway Workshops. His choice to represent New Zealand in the boxing ling at the Olympic Games caused a thrill of pride to all railwaymen.

Word has just reached us that owing to an insufficiency of funds, there is some doubt whether it will be possible to send this fine young athlete on the tour.

This Magazine, therefore, desires to make an appeal to railwaymen throughout the Dominion to subscribe to a fund for the purpose of seizing this unique opportunity for the railways to be represented at the Olympic Games. Contributions are accordingly invited. Amounts may be paid through any stationmaster, and contributions will be duly acknowledged.

Immediate action is necessary, as the Olympic team is expected to leave by the middle of April.