§ MR. BRYCE (Aberdeen, S.)I beg to ask the Postmaster General whether he will consider the practicability of accelerating the night mails from London 1918 to Aberdeen, so that the mail train now leaving Euston at half-past eight p.m. should arrive in Aberdeen earlier than it now does, considering that at present this train occupies twelve and a half hours on the way, whereas the passenger train leaving Euston at eight p.m. occupies only twelve hours, and having regard to the fact than an acceleration of the night mails might enable the delivery to callers on Sunday forenoon to take place at the same hour as the week day delivery?
§ *SIR J. FERGUSSONThe night mail train from Euston Station to Aberdeen was accelerated by about an hour in the summer of 1890, and it does not seem practicable to obtain any further acceleration. It is true that the eight p.m. passenger train performs the journey in half-an-hour less time than the mail train, but, owing to the large quantities of mails to be transferred on the way, more time is required for the station duties in connection with the mail train. There are, moreover, a number of branch trains which bring mails for transfer to the mail train, and in the event of one of them being late it is arranged for the main line train to wait for a few minutes in order to prevent delay to the mails. It is only with great difficulty and the utmost exertions that the present hour can be maintained.