13 DECEMBER 1946, Page 5

Travel in England in 1946. Why, asked Mr. Walker-Smith, was

the 6.4o p.m. from Liverpool Street to Waltham Cross (under 13 miles) 51 minutes late on December 2nd? Well, replied the Minister of Transport, it was 19 minutes late in starting owing to "maintenance difficulties at the locomotive depot." Then at Tottenham the engine gave out and they had to couple up another one. That involved a further consequential delay because the train had got out of schedule and had to be fitted in somewhere. But with all that it was only 4o minutes late on the 521 miles run, not 55. In fact a rather creditable performance, all things considered.

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