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The New Zealand Railways Magazine, Volume 3, Issue 9 (January 1, 1929)

General Managers's Message

page 8

General Managers's Message

Now that the peak period of passenger traffic is past I wish to express thanks to all the staff concerned in train operating for the very efficient way in which they performed their work. Once again have we come through a Christmas and New Year period without any personal accident of a fatal nature to our passengers, while carrying an increased number of long distance passengers. But for the bad weather experienced throughout the Dominion on two of our principal big event traffic days (Boxing Day and New Year's Day) it is clear that a distinct increase in the gross passenger revenue for the excursion period would have been recorded. As it is, the decrease of approximately £5,000 in passenger revenue is less than was anticipated in the conditions prevailing.

I look forward to a further improvement in the revenue figures during the remaining months of the financial year, partly because of the promise of additional tourist business developing from overseas sources, and partly because of the lateness of the season generally, throwing a concentration of delayed seasonal goods traffic into January, February and March.

On the expenditure side there has been a considerable increase recorded to date, largely due to the interest needed to meet the £6,000,000 increase in capital cost of open lines, and the expense inevitable in connection with the change over period in the Workshops. The current year cannot be regarded as normal in the latter respect and I hope that we shall be able to shew better results from Workshops operations in the near future.

Traffic Fluctuations.

Railway operating revenue for the four weekly accounting period ended 10th December, 1928, increased by £5,000, a substantial increase of £14,500 in goods and miscellaneous revenue being offset by decreases in passenger earnings. The number of passengers carried was practically the same as last year owing to the popularity of the Department's season ticket concessions.

Cattle and calf traffic continues to shew large increases. A heavy decrease in sheep traffic in the North Island was offset by increases in the South Island.

Timber traffic shewed a slight improvement which was confined to the South Island.

The tonnage of goods carried was greater by 16,000 tons, the principal contributing factors being grain (700 tons), fodder (1,000 tons), cheese (4,200 tons), wool (2,200 tons), agricultural lime (3,700 tons), firewood and posts (900 tons), cement (600 tons), artificial manures (6,400 tons), and road metal (6,000 tons). Decreases were recorded in butter (700 tons), coal (11,200 tons) and ships' cargo on port lines (7,700 tons).

Operating Statistics.

The operating statistics continue to shew higher average train speeds combined with a heavier train loading—resulting in a very substantial increase in the gross and net ton miles of traffic conveyed per train hour. The average wagon load improved slightly.

Locomotive performance in engine mileage per engine in steam per day was considerably better than last year, the increase for the Dominion being 5.94 per cent.

General Manager.

page 9
“A daughter of the gods, divinely, tall,And most divinely fair….”—Tennyson.Miss Tiora Meadows, as Cleopatra Miss Meadows was Transportation Queen in recent Carnival in Wellington in aid of the Dominion War Memorial and Museum, and was voted the winner of the contest with a majority of 11,000 votes.

“A daughter of the gods, divinely, tall,
And most divinely fair….”
—Tennyson.
Miss Tiora Meadows, as Cleopatra
Miss Meadows was Transportation Queen in recent Carnival in Wellington in aid of the Dominion War
Memorial and Museum, and was voted the winner of the contest with a majority of 11,000 votes.