The New York herald., 1922-08-22
MAURITANIA TO CUT
five HOURS Off Time
Cunard Line Ship Will
Make Plymouth in Five
Days Flat.
ALREADY HAS RECORD
Cherbourg Call Deferred to
Make Ocean Express Ser
vice. to England.
TRAINS TO MEET VESSEL
Passengers Sailing September
5 May Dine in London at
10 A. M. on 10th.
TRAINS TO MEET VESSEL

The Cunard Line steamship Maure-
tania, fastest passenger ship in the
world, intends to cut down the present
record for the passage between New
York and Plymouth and will start on
what the company terms "the express
service when she sails from this port
September 5. Five days actual time
is the mark the liner aims at and. ac-
there is every probability the ship can
do this on every trip
The present worlds speed record for
the transatlantic voyage from New
York to Cherbourg. Southampton and
Plymouth, is held by the Mauretania-
which completed the trip eastward to
Cherbourg in days s hours and .
minutes. July "a.
4 To meet the urgent necessity of quick
travel from New York to London. the
Cunard officials changed the route ordi-
narily taken by the ship. and hence
forth her first port of call will be
Plymouth instead of Cherbourg. The
liner will proceed to Cherbourg from
Plymouth. making the French port at
the same time as formerly. and will
then go to Southampton. Cherbourg
was made first under the present route,
then Southampton.
Boat Trains to London.
Arrangements have been made to run
special boat trains from Plymouth to
London. making the distance in four
hours and thirty minutes. Thus. with
sailing at 10 o'clock, passengers will be
able to eat dinner In London the even
ing of the fifth day. Passengers for
following morning. and the London
bound travellers will reach London be-
fore the big ship has made Cherbourg.
The boat train will be run alongside
the ship at the dock in Plymouth and
arrangements will be made in advance
for chair accommodations. Passengers
will step from ship to train. not the
ordinary Plymouth express, but a spe-
cial right of way train to London.
Coincident with establishment of the
express service" the rates will be
lower according to the custom of the
company. which puts the winter rates
into effect September l. These rates
are 10 per cent. lower than those to-
day and continue until February. The
first sailing under the new service will
therefore come just within the time of
the reduced rates.
Time Is Demonstrated.
Since conversion of the Mauretania
into an oil burning ship ,ast May line
officials say they have been able to
figure the running time to within five
minutes. This Is demonstrated by the
record made the last three rrips east
ward to Cherbourg when, the difference
between trips was but two and three
minutes each. In addition to the desire
for speed. the officials of the company
decided Plymouth offered better facili-
ties for handling passenger traffic. in
asmuch as two of the largest British
railways run their express trains there.
The London and Southwest Railway
run trains to Plymouth from the Water
loo station, London. and the Great
Western Railway operates from the
Paddington station. There are also at
least eight fast express trains from the
port to London each day.
Thus. hour by hour. trip by trip, the
transatlantic trip Is being shortened
and new records are being hung up by
the speedy liner which Is now to at
tempt the five day run.