The San Francisco call., 1904-02-04
THROUGH TRAIN
SERVICE FAILS
''Key Route" Lacks Both Cars
and Tracks for a Service
Into Center of Oakland
MORE EQUIPMENT ORDERED
Oakland Office San Francisco Call,
Ills Broadway, Feb. 5.

Oakland once san FRANCISCO Call,
111S Broadway. Feb. 5.
1t will be 3. long while-probably sew
eral years-before the Key Route finds
its way into Oakland proper.
This is the actual condition of affairs
as admitted by officials of that new
ferry system, though that admission is
not made for publication.
The people of Oakland have been
wondering why the Key Route has not
been giving Oakland a service. There
are more people in Oakland than In
Berkeley, and the Key Route was COM
PEELED to come to Oakland for its ter
minal franchises, and Oakland turned
over to that company and the Santa Fe
one entire street, yet Oakland to-day
has no service from the Key Route,
though full trains are run to Berkeley
every trip. This condition Of affairs
has given rise to much talk in Oakland,
and it has even been limited In San
Francisco papers that there was traf-
fic agreement between the new ferry
system and the old.
An official of the Key Route system
made the following statement in regard
to its service to Oakland, which shows
the condition of the new company:
In the first place we cannot run Key
Route trains into Oakland, because We have
not got the cars. We have only got cars
enough to run trains to Berkeley. and even
these cars are running full to overhoWing
We have been compelled to put into the
Berkeley service that have been COM
PEELED to adapt from other branches OF the
service. We have determined that We will not
attempt to handle more than can comfort
ably do, and for that reason. if for no other
we are combining ourselves to that one service.
In the second place. We cannot run main
line trains down San Pablo avenue, because
the ianges the cars are too deep. and the
rails on that avenue are too shallow. We can
Fourteenth street directly out on the pier
without transferring the passengers at For
tieth street because the car Is half open. and
an open car cannot be run out on the pier.
We have ordered more cars from the East,
and We expect them shortly but Wien full
train or even a car will be run down San
Pablo avenue into Oakland is a question that
has not yet been decided.
There is traffic agreement between the
Key Route and the Southern Pacific Company.
We are out after all the business that We
can get but are not going to try to
handle business that Is beyond our equipment.
We have ordered all the equipment that
get until that comes we are not going to
try to handle what is beyond our maens- We
have got from Berkeley alone more business
than expected.
the Piedmont branch along Fortieth street.
but that will not be operated until the new
cars come.
is a question. There is a condition surround
ing both cars and tracks that is a difficult one
to face.
InlS is Ine HISI QeIulIS statement
that has come from Key Route officials
as to why Key Route trains are not
run into Oakland, and it looks as if the
days when Key Route trains would
come into Oakland would be far in the
future.
AS a matter of fact Key Route Of
ficials have no definite plans as to when
Key Route trains would come into Oak
land. They are confronted with the fact
i
Pablo avenue line to run high speed
cars on the avenue. They also lack
trackage facilities along that avenue at
the Fourteenth street terminus. and
they also lack trackage facilities at the
end of their pier, so that Oakland S
chances for getting Key Route trains
/ into the center of town are not very
/ immediate, and Oakland will have to be
satisfied with it's swing car and its ex-
ira fare.