S 4
28. Consent was also granted to the Hong Kong Telephone Company to carry a trunk telephone cable between Hong Kong and Canton along the side of certain sections of the line, and through Beacon Hill Tunnel, but no work was actually executed during the year.
TRAFFIC.
29. The year 1930, whilst causing disappointment through inability to reduce the through journey to 3 hours as had been thought possible, nevertheless has shown that, given a regular and punctual service of trains between the two cities, an ever-increasing proportion of the passenger traffic can be obtained. The results of the second half year's working were interesting in view of the fact that a speed restriction of 20 miles per hour over the Chinese Section, imposed from June 26th, was still in force on a portion of the Chinese Section line at the close of the year.
30. With the exception of the first week in January, when repairs were still being carried out to the Shek Ha Bridge, which was blown up on December 13th, 1929, the through expresses continued to run without interruption and with remarkable punctuality. The necessity for still being obliged to haul these trains with the British tank engines for a longer period than was originally intended is unfortunate, for it has undoubtedly thrown considerable strain on them. Had it been possible, under the agreement, to put the new express engines, which were erected and ready for service in December, into use whilst the speed restriction was in force, it would have been unwise, as their specified effective average speed is not less than 35 miles per hour.
It reflects great credit, therefore, on the locomotive running staff that, whilst working under the trying conditions of severe speed restriction, such an excellent standard of punctuality was achieved.
31. It has been the practice in recent years to convey any goods offering by passenger trains by attaching the goods wagons in the rear and supplemented by open wagons termed pick-up wagons for pigs, vegetables, etc. The consequent delay to the passenger trains had reached a state which made it a source of continual complaint by the public, and commencing on February 18th, an experiment was made by running a "mixed" train to which goods and articles likely to delay the ordinary passenger trains were confined; the pick-up wagons being almost entirely withdrawn from the passenger trains.
32. Although laying the Railway open to criticism by appearing to increase the operating expenditure at a time when there was urgent need for economy, results more than justified the action taken, for, without additional cost, due to counter-balancing economies, improved punctuality was obtained, easier handling of goods, better customs facilities, and a satisfactory medium for training engine drivers and firemen before putting them on slow passenger trains and expresses.