§ MR. J. H. DALZIELI beg to ask the right hon. Gentleman the President of the Board of Trade—(1) whether his attention has been drawn to the grave inconvenience and annoyance caused to the travelling public by the recent refusal of the North British Railway Company to allow passengers from Edinburgh to Kirkcaldy to travel by the 4.25 p.m. train, notwithstanding that it stops at Kirkcaldy for the purpose of taking up passengers; (2) whether he is aware that in giving evidence before a Select Committee of the House of Commons, in opposition to the proposed scheme of a rival company, the late Mr. John Walker, manager of the North British Railway Company, stated that the inhabitants of Kirkcaldy would have full advantage of all passenger trains passing Kirkcaldy; and (3) whether, in view 1317 of the strong dissatisfaction with which the present action of the North British Railway Company is regarded, he proposes taking any action in the matter?
§ MR. BRYCEI can quite understand that the people of Kirkcaldy may be put to inconvenience by the facts stated in my honourable Friend's question. The Railway Company, however, state to me that they are only able to make this train keep time at Dundee and the other places north of Fife which it serves, by refusing to book passengers from Edinburgh to Kirkcaldy; and they add that there are trains from Edinburgh at 3.55, 4.40, and 4.50 p.m., so that, in their view, passengers from Edinburgh to Kirkcaldy have adequate afternoon facilities. The Board of Trade have no power to take any action in the matter; complaints regarding the absence of due facilities can only be addressed to and heard by the Railway Commissioners.
§ MR. DALZIELThe right hon. Gentleman has not answered the second paragraph of my question. I would also ask whether it is not the case that this very train has to wait a quarter of an hour at Dundee for connections?