No additions to N. Wales Manchester express
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• The granting of further express journeys between Llandudno and Manchester would result in abstraction from the good rail services and would add more vehicles to the already heavily congested North Wales roads, said the Chairman of the North Western Traffic Commissioners in Manchester last week. The Commissioners refused an application by North Western Road Car Co. Ltd. for one journey in each direction on Tuesdays throughout the year and on Saturdays from the end of September to the beginning of June.
Crosvilie Motor Services Ltd. acted as their agents in Wales, said Mr. W. Woolley of North Western, and submitted a schedule of 70 inquiries it had received for an express road service during the winter. It would be by way of an experimental service but many Mancunians retired to North Wales and wished to return to visit relatives and for shopping. The present stage carriage connections via Chester and Warrington or coach services via Liverpool were lengthy and arduous.
Mr. G. Penketh Llandudno divisional manager, Crosville, said the day return fare would be 15s 6d and the period return 31s. He told Mr. J. A. Backhouse, objecting for British Railways, that he would require carryings of 20/25 per return journey or 1,100 winter passengers to make the service remunerative.
Three public witnesses said they preferred travelling by road and would visit Manchester more frequently if a direct service was available. However they agreed there were already good direct trains.
From Llandudno, the cheap day return by rail was 25s, and the cheap period fare 35s, said Mr. D. Astom, BR passenger officer, Stoke. Despite the relaxing of cheap day restrictions, the revenue had decreased by £327 on this run during the past year.
Mr. Backhouse submitted that the wide range of rail services should not be put at risk by what was to be a hopelessly uneconomic bus operation. The period return rail ticket was only 4s more than the suggested road fare which was not excessive for a return journey taking hours less.