9
is most difficult as there is little law and order over the border. The pre-war practice of collecting Shum Chun tickets at Sheung Shui, the last station but one, has therefore been reverted to, and although the number of missing tickets is still high, it is considered that more excess fares are collected at Sheung Shui than would be possible at Shum Chun.
34. The Railway Police have been a valuable asset to the traffic staff. Black-marketing of tickets is now practically non- existent and collection of excess fares has been made easier by the presence on trains of the Railway Police.
35. Local trains on the whole have run fairly well to schedule. The Down Through Slow has been bad, the Chinese Section appearing to have little control over its running or the collection of passenger fares. It has, however, been a very good revenue-earner for country produce; consequently, endeavours have been made to get the train through to Kowloon on all possible. occasions in spite of its frequent late arrival at Shum Chun.
36. One hundred and six special trains were run during the year, most of them at Ching Ming. In addition, an extra trip to Shatin had to be run on Sundays in order to bring back picnic parties.
37. Goods trains totalled only 347 throughout the year. Ballast trains numbered 74 in each direction.
38. Accidents were as follows:
Personal:-
Trespassers killed by trains Trespassers injured by trains Passengers killed by trains Passengers injured by trains
Other:
3
2
2
6
Engine failure
Derailment
3
1
Level crossing gates damaged by motor traffic 2 Fencing damaged by motor traffic
ACCOUNTS GENERAL.
1
39. There is still no written working agreement between the British Section and the Canton-Hankow Railway for the accounts offices. The method and procedure for the settlement of accounts continued to be the results of meetings between Executives, and by correspondence between the accounts offices of each Section.
40. The Imprest Account which was opened on behalf of the C.H.R. Section in November 1946 has continued as a satisfactory arrangement. The total value for the year for the C.H.R. Section for stores supplied to them and for through running, is $1,876,376.27.