§ MR. JOHNSON-FERGUSON (Leicestershire, Loughborough)I beg to ask the President of the Board of Trade whether his attention has been called to the service of trains between Carlisle and the local stations of the Caledonian Railway in Dumfriesshire, which frequently entails on passengers to and from stations south of Carlisle a delay at Carlisle of two or three hours before getting a train to take them to their destination; and whether, considering the obligation of the railway companies to provide reasonable facilities, he will, in the interest of the public, use his good offices with the Caledonian Railway Company to secure a better service of local trains.
§ MR. RITCHIEI have been in communication with the railway company concerned in regard to the hon. Member's question, and they state that the local trains now run to and from Carlisle are as numerous as the demands of the traffic would justify. It is added that an additional train put on experimentally last year to connect with the down day express from London was made little use of. I shall be happy to show the company's reply to the hon. Member if he so desires.