Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-03-18
Washington to New York in
Four Hours
ON THE PENNSYLVANIA
NEW SCHEDULE WHEN TERM
MAILS ARE FINISHED.
Management Expects Big Increase II
Traffic When New Arrange
ment is Effected.

Special From STAFF Correspondent.
PHILADELPHIA, March 18.-The Penn
sylvania railroad Is to cut the running time
between Washington and New York to ex-
actly four hours.
This new service, which means q saving
of one and one-half hours each way be-
TWEEN these two cities, or three hours on
the round trip, is to be put into effect on
the completion Of the New York and Wash
ington terminals. work on both Of which Is
to be begun at once and pushed to rapid
completion.
There is not only to be a saving Of time
between the two cities. but with the con-
struction Of the New York tunnel passen-
gers are to be landed right in the heart Of
that city, thus obviating the tedious ferry
and the crowded street cars from the water
front.
This announcement, made to The Star
correspondent today, is the first official in
timation from the company as to the prac-
tical results of its new terminal projects SO
far as they are to benefit the travelling pub
lie.
1t has been demonstrated over and over
again to the complete satisfaction Of rail-
road officials that the saving Of time to the
percentage the amount Of travel between
any two given points. 1t has also been
demonstrated that the convenient location
Of terminals in q city has the same ten
jects sought to be accomplished by the
Pennsylvania railroad in its Washington
and New York terminal problems.
Views Of Traffic Official.
In discussing this point traffic official
Of the road said today:
There are many illustrations Of what
convenient terminals and shorter running
time do in the way Of increasing the traffic.
When we completed Broad street station
right here in the heart Of Philadelphia the
directors Of the road or a number of them,
declared emphatically that the structure
was at least twenty years In advance of the
times. Today we have definitely decided to
construct new station farther out and d.
vert through trains there, that we may get
trains enough into the Broad street station
to handle the traffic. Besides this we are
also to build additional train sheds at the
station. This is done for the simple rea-
son that 1t is absolutely impossible to get
trains enough into the station to handle
the traffic.
'"The phenomenal travel to Atlantic City
Is another illustration Of the fact that peo-
pie regard time in travelling more than
anything else. A few years ago our run
ming time from Philadelphia to Atlantic
City was one and one-half hours, today It
is sixty minutes for sixty miles. A few
years ago at this season of the year you
could have shot a cannon ball along the
board walk without hitting a person. To-
day there are fifty thousand persons in At
lantic City. This change we ascribe en-
tirely to the shortening of the running
time between not only Philadelphia and
Atlantic City, but between Washington and
that place and between New York also, fol
there are many New Workers now there.
Another Pertinent Illustration. !
1.-THE present railroad situation in New
York city illustrates this point also. The
New York Central railway has its termi-
nails practically in the center Of the city.
This road does 30 per cent OF all Of the
passenger business in and out Of New
York. When the other 80 per cent is d.
vided up 1t leaves about II per cent FOX
the Pennsylvania. This condition we be-
lieve can be ascribed entirely to the lack
Of convenient terminal facilities for the
Pennsylvania road in New York When a
person has the choice Of the two routes he
would rather take a train which lands him
which runs only to the water front, with a
ferryboat journey ahead, and then street
car ride
I'VE not only predict that our proposed
new terminals will increase the travel to
New York, but it will place the Pennsyl.
vania on an equal footing with the New
York Central, and thus make q more equal
division Of the traffic already in existence
Anent the Terminal Here.
In discussing the Washington terminal
station there was some doubt expressed
regarding the convenience to the public in
its location. This matter, however, Is re.
garded as settled now, and the work OF
elevating the tracks, digging the tunnel
and constructing the station will be begun
and completed in accordance with the leg
islation just had and with the least delay
possible. The engineers Of the roads have
made detailed estimates of exactly what
these improvements are to cost, including
all Of the changes which are necessary
This estimate shows that before the work
Is completed there will have been spent in
the city Of Washington just $13, 723, 478 by
the two railway companies.
Basing the prediction on the increase In
the Pennsylvania traffic wherever termi-
nal facilities have been improved and run
ming time cut down, it is estimated that
when the new time table noted above goes
into effect the traffic between Washington
and New York will increase at least so per
cent.