The commercial. (Union City, Tenn.) 190?-193?, 1921-12-23
STATEMENT MADE BY
RAILROAD OFFICIALS
Cost of Service from Hollow Rock to
Hickman, Etc.

DNA
Hickman, Etc.
In view of the public interest in
the addition of a night train to the
present service of two passenger
trains each way daily between Hol-
low Rock junction and Hickman,
KY, 1 feel that your readers may
wish to know some of the factors
that must be considered by the Nash
vile, Chattanooga & st. Louis Rail-
way in determining whether or not
this service can be added in fairness
to the patrons of the other divisions
of the railway and in accordance
with the terms of the transportation
Act of 1920 which provides that the
railway shall be operated efficient
ly and economically"
The N, C. & st. L. Ry. is anxious
to serve every town on its line to the
best of its ability, and will always
be glad to offer such services as can
be operated without serious loss.
The General Manager of the road
has requested of the Traffic Depart
Llent thorough and complete sur
vey of tie possibilities of the traffic
that might be developed by this ad-
ditional train north of Hollow Rock
Junction, and if this survey should
indicate that the service can be self
sustaining, the road stands ready to
offer it.
When this train was operated prior
to 1918, it was handled in connection
with the Nashville-Memphis service
by way of Mckenzie and the l.. &
N Railroad, the same crew which
handled the train from Nashville to
Mckenzie taking it on to Hickman.
At that time the total expense of the
service was little more than the cost
of fuel consumed between Mckenzie
and Hickman, with such wear and
tear on the equipment and such ad-
ditional night help at stations as was
1ncluental TO Jne service.
In 1918 the N, G. & st. l.. Ry. be-
gan to operate through service be-
tween Nashville and Memphis over
it's own lines between Nashville and
Memphis over it's own lines by way
of Jackson at night, thus giving
night train service to Jackson and
other populous West Tennessee
towns. The same crew now handles
the trains all the way from Nashville
to Memphis. A connecting service
from Hollow Rock Junction to Hick-
man would necessitate an additional
crew.
Trains could be operated under the
conditions existing prior TO 1918 at
about one-fourth of the present cost
of operation. The Operating Depart
ment of the road estimates that the
service proposed would now cost not
less than two thousand dollars per
month actual out-of pocket expense.
OF this amount about $1,666.00
would be required for wages of an
al itional crew and for fuel.
lit has been suggested that the res
toration of this train would add
enough additional revenue to pay for
this. During the month of August,
1917, before this train was discon-
tinued, careful check of the business
handled between Hollow Rock juno
tion and Hickman showed that 1t
to less than $500.
In this connection a comparison of
the number of passengers carried on
the NJ, G. & st. L. system as a whole
with the number of passengers car
ried between all points north of Hol-
low Rock Junction and Nashville |
during three representative periods
Of six months each, one before the
since the war, throws some light on
the question.
During six months period in |
l915-16 there were 5000 tickets sold |
from all these stations to Nashville. |
At that time there were three trains
daily. During the last SIX months
N 1917, which were also the last six
during which the night train |
was operated, there were 1878 tick
ets sold, an increase of 44.55 per
cent over the pre-war period, and
1876 per cent over the last six
months during which the night train
was operated
Contrasted with this is the fact
hat during the six months ending
n October, 1921, the number of
handled on the whole sys-
em decreased 1.07 per cent as COM
pared with the period during the
var.
1t has been further suggested that /
he furnishing of a night train serv-
&C on this division might be the
means of building up enough addi-
ional freight, mail and express bus
ness between Nashville and the ter
itory served as will in some measure
make up the deficit which would
lave to be incurred in the operation
f the train. This possibIslty will be
arefully investigated and Nill re-
eive full consideration.
If the results of this investiget tion
hould prove favorable, the railway
will of course be glad to offer the ad-
itional service, for after all the rail-
vay profits by the building up of the
of the communities which
/ serves. Worry truly yours,
ROBERT A. HENRY,
- L