AnnualReport-1938 — Page 738

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influx of refugees. On the other hand, intensive bombing of the Chinese Section of the line caused considerable dislocation and curtailment of the through passenger service with a corresponding slump in receipts from that source.

This state of affairs continued until October 12th when all through traffic ceased after a small bridge at Mile 52 on the Chinese Section had been hit by a bomb. Repairs were uncompleted when the Chinese military forces blew up all major railway structures before the Japanese capture of Canton on October 21st. For the remainder of the year, railway operations were confined to the local service, the northern terminal being withdrawn to Lowu which lies just within British territory.

25. Receipts from through passenger traffic declined by 50.46%, due to the circumstances outlined above, although the earnings per train mile improved from $10.45 to $16.17. The curtailment of the service resulted in only 622 express trains being run, as against 2,235 last year. Through passenger carryings and earnings are compared with figures obtained during the two previous years, in the following tables:-

Terminal Through Traffic.

1936

1937

1938

Passengers (Up)

690,981

669,545

271,301

(Down)

J

739,563

701,493

340,418

(Total)

1,430,544

1,371,038

611,719

Revenue

(Up)

$213,925

$220,441 $106,670

(Down)

7"

211,925

217,532

113,817

"}

(Total)

$425,850

$437,973

$220,487

Sectional Through Traffic.

1936

1937

1938

Passengers (Up)

150,335

158,162

65,166

(Down)

151,796

173,187

114,462

(Total)

302,131

331,349

179,628

Revenue

(Up)

$85,264

$105,353

$45,062

(Down)

57,857

"

69,958

38,285

(Total)

""

$143,121

$175,311

$83,347

26. A bi-weekly passenger service between Hankow and Hong Kong, which commenced on July 14th, marked a new epoch in travel between these two cities. The service was suspended from August 11th to September 19th, such action being dictated by the intensification of bombing on the southern section of the Canton-Hankow Railway. It was finally cancelled on October 12th. In all 29 trains were run; 13 up and 16 down. There were more down passengers than up, attributable to the evacuation of Hankow by refugees. Considerable revenue was earned in the up direction by the conveyance of parcels traffic. Two 40-ton wagons were attached to each train and even the combined space available in these vehicles and the luggage vans proved inadequate to accommodate all the parcels offering.