§ Mr. MUNROasked the President of the Board of Trade whether he has made representations to the Highland Railway Company regarding the inconvenience caused to the travelling public in the northern counties of Scotland by the withdrawal of the 10.50 p.m. south-going train from Inverness; and whether the company is willing to provide facilities for the conveyance of passengers in the 10.30 p.m. train southwards, which is now to convey the south-going mails, instead of the 10.50 p.m. train?
Mr. BUXTONI have communicated with the Highland Railway Company on this matter, and asked the company to consider a suggestion made by my hon. Friend that passenger vehicles should be attached to a goods train on which the mails are carried from Aviemore to Perth, 1837W but the company inform me that this train consists of from forty to fifty goods and mineral wagons, and that, in their opinion, it would be dangerous to run it as a mixed train in view of the steep gradient between Dalnaspidal and Struan. Mixed trains are not permitted to consist of more than twenty-five vehicles, and, in the circumstances, it would not seem practicable for the company to adopt the course suggested.