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compare the operating efficiency with that of pre-war years, but a continuous and steady improvement was effected throughout the period under review.
24. The passenger train service increased from a daily average of 8 trains in May 1946 to 24 at the end of March 1947, and there was also a progressive reduction in the time of the through journey to Canton from 84 hours to 412 hours. This does not of course compare with the pre-war time of 2 hours 55 minutes, and until new track materials can be obtained and considerable sections of both the British and Chinese Sections of the Railway are re-laid, it is doubtful whether further increases in speed can be made.
25. The daily through service in May consisted of one fast passenger train and one slow train in each direction and this was increased in August to two fast and one slow. The gradual decrease in running time attracted an increasing number of passengers, and the provision of a third train was found necessary. This was introduced in February: the rolling stock consisting of 40-ton covered goods wagons which were converted by the Canton-Hankow Line into passenger coaches by the provision of windows and seats.
26. The local train service commenced with two trains only in each direction, but the arrival of new locomotives from Great Britain, coupled with repairs and rehabilitation of rolling stock, enabled this number to be increased to three in each direction from November 16th 1946, and to five in each direction from March 1st. 1947. In addition, a rail-bus service was inaugurated on November 16th. and this proved popular with New Territory residents; the number of passen- gers carried and revenue earned by this unit amounting to 21,108 and $15,153.00 respectively.
27. A certain amount of difficulty was experienced in the operation of goods trains, owing to the fact that UNRRA wagons supplied to China were equipped with screw couplings instead of the automatic couplers in common use on this Rail- way and the Chinese Railways. This meant that their use was restricted to block trains as it was not possible to couple them to wagons equipped with automatic couplers. A total of 705 goods trains were run during the eleven months, of which 305 were to Canton, 66 direct to the Canton-Hankow Railway, while 334 were received at Kowloon. Unfortunately the lack of exports from China resulted in the majority of wagons travelling empty in the downward direction.
28.
The timekeeping of through trains generally was not satisfactory, but the reasons were in many cases beyond the control of the British Section. Lack of crossing stations on the Chinese Section and the necessity for continuous imposi-
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