Evening star., 1944-12-17
Transportation Lines Expect
Overflow Travel Over HoIidoys

their facilities will be virtually
crowded to capacity by the Christ
mas holiday traffic, and if a Wash
ington resident wants to travel to a
distant city for Christmas and
hasn't made his Pullman reserva-
tions he had better make up his
mind he is going to get there by
coach if he gets there at all.
Airlines likewise are faced with
full reservation lists. In addition
they have the problem Of priorities
which can mean reservation holder
with a low priority, or no priority,
may 1nd himself forced to surrender
his seat to someone whose priority
outranks his.
Bushnes also are expecting rec
ord crowds, but generally speaking
they do not make reservations in
advance. They say they expect to
be able to take care of the travellers.
Heavy Travel Starts Tuesday.
Railroad officials are the ones
struggling with the bulk of holiday
transportation. The big holiday
travel movement begins about Tues
day. A month before that date
reservation charts were posted, and
in many cases the reservations for
the chief trains were exhausted
within a day. The heaviest travel
will be from the middle of this
week until after New Year, with a
lull between Christmas and New
Year.
There are some exceptions to the
general condition of crowded res
ervation lists, but generally they are
to points not along the main lines
OF travel. Also there are some can
cenations and there are the pros
pects,. for the most part shadowy,
that there may be extra Pullman
cars made available by military au-
thorities releasing the equipment at
the last minute.
One railroad man said unless a
holiday traveller has a reservation
both going and coming he had bet
ter stay home. Otherwise he runs
the risk of standing up or even be-
ling left behind if the train is over
crowded "A crowded coach, with
people standing up, is hard on ell
derly people" he said. Il don't see
how some of them stand it. We
tell the people We'll do the best we
can for them, and if we can take
care of them, We'll do it."
1t was explained that many can
cellations arise from the fact Gov-
ernment employees planned to go
nome for Christmas and then found
they couldn't get away. The Office
OF Defense Transportation has re-
quested Government Offices and pri-
vate employers not to grant Christ
mas leaves. But the cancellations
will mean that others will be able
TO obtain reservations.
Much of the holiday travel origi-
mating in Washington goes to New
York and New England, but there
is also heavy travel to Southern
Army camps by parents.
Service Travel Greater.
Rail officials said travel this year
will be about the same as last, but
since it was at capacity last year
that statement hasn't much mean
ing. The test is whether more
people will be disappointed this
year, and the railroad men say
they have no way of telling. It is
expected, however, that there will
be more disappointed civilians, be-
cause the travel by service person.
mel is greater.
ODT estimates that 10000 service
men and women will be travelling
this year and the railroads will take
care of them first.
The amount of travel in and out
OF Washington is shown by the an
nouncement that from 10000 to
10000 persons go through the
Union Station each "a hours on
Fridays, Saturdays and SUNDAYS.