ENG-1952 — Page 186

HONG KONG ANNUAL REPORT, 1952

through passenger train services have been suspended. All passengers proceeding to and from China are now obliged to change trains at the frontier. For a time it was also necessary to off-load all goods traffic, but since the latter half of 1950, goods traffic in wagon loads has been passing to and from Chinese Territory without transhipment.

Total revenue for the year 1952 amounted to $5,601,419, operating expenditure being $4,563,579, leaving a nett operating revenue of $1,037,840. The corresponding figures for the previous year were $5,505,103, $4,313,569 and $1,191,533 respectively. Passengers carried numbered 3,554,202, a decrease of 342,830 over 1951, while goods traffic amounted to 225,659 tons, a decrease of 51,010 tons.

Passengers carried between stations, within the territory of Hong Kong, were 3,282,897 or 92.37% of the total. Passengers to the border numbered 271,305, the greater proportion of whom were travellers between Hong Kong and the interior of China.

Exports from the Colony by goods-train amounted to 20,462 tons and imports to 158,738 tons, a total of 179,200 tons. The balance of goods traffic was largely farm produce and military equipment carried within the Colony.

Capital expenditure amounted to approximately $2,073,487. This was mainly incurred on new rolling stock (20 goods wagons being received during the year), on station quarters, track and plant.

Rehabilitation work which was necessary as a result of the war was practically finished during the year. The railway still suffered from a shortage of

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