(October-March) was 4,933,202 compared with 4,856,875 for the cor- responding period last year.
4. The Railway in common with many other Government Depart- ments had to cope with its own particular problems during the communist confrontation. It is pleasant to record that none of the Railway staff went on strike and it was possible to maintain normal train services even at the height of the disturbances. Brief disruptions of traffic occurred, however, when bombs were found on the Railway property and, pending their disposal, some of the services had to be temporarily suspended in order to ensure the safety of the passengers. Altogether 38 bombs were planted, of which 9 were real and 29 simulated.
5. From 21st July, 1967 to 15th October, 1967, the two last north- bound trains terminated their journeys at Sheung Shui instead of Lo Wu due to lack of passengers to and from the latter station at night time.
6. The new Railway Workshops at Ho Tung Lau, Sha Tin, and the new running and carriage washing sheds at Hung Hom were nearing completion at the close of the year. It is expected that these installations will be brought into operation in the early part of the next financial year.
7. The staff worked well and remained loyal during the civil dis- turbances. The locomotive crews and the staff stationed at Lo Wu, in particular, were subjected to extra strain and many officers worked considerable overtime, sometimes under adverse conditions. They are to be commended for the willingness and efficiency with which they carried out their duties.
TRAFFIC
8. Traffic earnings for the year under review showed a decrease of 23.82% from the previous year. Comparative figures are given below:
1966-67 $15,440,632
1967-68 $11,763,333
Decrease $3,677,299
9. Passenger Traffic. For the reasons stated in paragraph 3 of this Report, local passenger journeys decreased by 1.18%, and non-local journeys by 13.37%.
10. On Ching Ming Festival Day, 5th April, 1967, and Chung Yeung Festival Day, 12th October, 1967, 30 and 24 special trains respectively, in addition to the daily normal service of 34 trains, were run to facilitate visits to the cemeteries at Wo Hop Shek and Sandy Ridge. On these two
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