The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1921-09-15
c. Y. RAILROAD
LAYS PLANS BARE
Only One Train Each Way
on West River Road
That a Mixed
B. & w. DIRECTORS <<
TO MEET SATURDAY
Matter to BE Taken Before Public Serv-
ice Commission Unless Announced
Plan Is Modified - Proposed Service
Practically No Service.


Practically No Service.
Details of the proposed assassination
of train service on the West River branch
of the Central Vermont were received
this morning by President Carl 5. Hop
kins of the local Chamber of Commerce
in a telegram from General Passenger
Agent J. w. Hanley.
What the road intends to do, beginning
Sept. -. is to abolish all trains on the
West River division except one mixed
train each way, leaving South ] ,ndon-
derry at a. m, and arriving in Brattle-
boro at 1120 n. M, and leaving Brattle-
boro at > p. IN. and arriving at South Lon
donderry at 6.20 p. III.
Such an arrangement, hardly worthy
the name OF service has aroused everyone
whose business or convenience is in any
way dependent upon communication be
tween Brattleboro and West River points,
and that includes practically everyone IN
this town and up the valley.
At a meeting of the local Chamber of
Commerce directors this morning it was
unanimously voted to send President F..
c. Smith or the Central Vermont tele-
gram voicing the emphatic protest of the
organization and stating that steps would
be taken to bring the matter before the
Vermont public service commission unless
something approaching adequate service
was assured.
1t is understood that the directors Of
the BrattleborO < Whitehall Railroad Co,
with which the Central Vermont has a
contract for operating the West River
branch. will have a meeting here Satur-
day to take action looking toward preven-
ton Of the proposed curtailment.
While not exactly as the public had
been given to understand, the proposed
schedule falls about as far short of serv-
ing the public along the line as anything
that could be imagined. As one man sue
cinctly put it this morning: 1t means
that South Londonderry man must plan
to spend eight hours and 40 minutes
aboard n West River train in order to
spend two hours and 40 minutes in Brat
tleboro." Furthermore. mixed trains on
the West River road rarely have been
known to run on anything approaching
schedule time Under the proposed ar
rangement all towns along the line would
be practically cut off from BrattleDoro and
points north and south, and with the un-
certainties of mixed train schedules it is
difficult to see how any passenger traffic
could be expected.
What patrons of the road and others
interested intend to insist upon is train
from South Londonderry arriving IN Brat
teboro at u reasonable time in the morn
ing and a return train leaving Brattle-
bOro late enough in the afternoon to es-
tablish mail and passenger connections
with the afternoon trains from the north
and south. If Central Vermont officials
are not disposed to agree to such an ar
rangement there Is no doubt that the mat
ter will be brought formally before the
public service commission.
Protest also was made to the Central
Vermont by Chamber of Commerce direc-
tors against the proposed change in time
of the afternoon train from BrattlebOro
to New London. The Central Vermont
has been running trains between New
London and White River Junction the
past summer, going through this town
at 1906 a. N. and returning at 40 p. m.
The plan is to annul these trains north
of Brattleboro and make the afternoon
leaving time > o'clock instead of 40.