Evening star., 1942-11-06
Definite Reservations
On Some Eastern Lines
Are Being Held Up
Pennsylvania, B. & O.
And Seobourd Are Among
Roads Changing Schedules

Travellers planning trips on q
number of Eastern trunk lines are
unable to make definite reservations
for several weeks because of con-
templated schedule changes, it was
learned today.
The Pennsylvania and the Balti-
more & Ohio will not make definite
reservations until after December S
and the Seaboard until after No.
vember 81.
Ofdcials of the Atlantic Coast Line
and the New York Central said they
we're accepting requests, subject to
anticipated changes in schedules,
which probably would be made late
this month or early in December.
Reservations Through January.
The Southern Railway System and
the Chesapeake and Ohio, however,
are making reservations now right
on through the month Of January.
Local ticket Offices of those COM
panies say no changes in schedules
are planned so far as they know.
Spokesman for the Pennsylvania,
B. & o. and Seaboard said they were
accepting ''listlrgs" for Pullman,
chair car and coach reservations as
usual. but were unable to make
reservations for definite space until
the new schedules are fixed.
Earlier Departures Forecast.
B.. & o. officials here expect the
changes going into effect December
6 will call for earlier departure times
for some of their trains, explaining
that the heavy loads being carried
by the railroads in the war effort
make it necessary to slow up some
runs. This is mainly because OF
demands for each train to carry
more passengers and make more
stops, it was said.
Pennsylvania officials gave much
the same explanation, pointing out
that most of the Washington-N
York trains are consistently running
five minutes or more late because
the schedule does not allow enough
time for loading and unloading the
Increased number of passengers at
stops along the way.
There's no use kidding ourselves
any longer" one official said, 80 we
decided to change the schedules to
meet the new conditions"
Fear Confusion.
It was explained that under pres
ent rules a person making an ad-
vance reservation is required to pick
up and pay for his tickets within "a
hours, and that considerable confu-
sion would be caused If tickets were
sold for train to leave at 5:45 pm.
December and by then its de-
parture time had been changed to
$50 pm.
To avoid this confusion, the af-
fected railroads simply are with
holding the definite reservations,
which will be issued in the order of
listings when the new schedules are
completed. This is expected to be
done within the next week or so.
Departure times OF affected trains
are expected to be advanced as
much as IS to 80 minutes.
Edward Plack, assistant general
passenger agent of the Seaboard
Railway, said his Office here was
holding up definite reservations for
some trains only to November 81.
The forthcoming schedule change
Is routine for Seaboard each spring
and fall, he said, to meet changing
travel conditions. He does not ex-
pect extensive changes.
Step Taken Voluntarily.
The railway spokesmen made clear
that the schedule changes being
planned were not ordered by the
Office Of Defense Transportation,
but were undertaken voluntarily to
meet actual operating conditions.
One official, however, said his
Office was hanging in air" in view
of reports of possible ODT restric-
tions on holiday travel. Others
said that they expected to have
available for holiday traffic as much
equipment as is now being used, but
not as much as has been put on in
past years to meet extra demands
at the Christmas season. For this
reason, 1t was said, many travellers
accustomed to Pullman accommoda-
tions are bound to be disappointed.