Rail Fruit Traffic at Cut Rates
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RAILWAY, rates for the transport of fruit from London to the Nottingham wholesale market have been cut to abstract traffic from the road. Fruit traffic by rail to Nottingham has decreased for six or seven years, but since a special low rate was introduced in January, it has increased. Last week over 40 tons were carried, and in February the total was 175 tons.
These facth came to light when the L.N.E. Railway Co. objected to an application by Mr. George W. Smalley, wholesale fruit merchant, of Ilkeston, for the renewal of his Blicence without modification. The application was heard by the East Midland Licensing Authority, at Nottingham, on Tuesday.
A railway representative said that the company was returning towards its former total of 3,000 tons a year. Mr. L. W. A. White, for the applicant, declared that traders (including Mr. Smalley) had been forced to purchase their own vehicles because of the inadequacy of the rail service.'
A representative of the L.M.S. Railway Co. said that, as a result of the lowering of the rail rate, his company's traffic last month was 120 tons, as against 539 for the whole of 1935.
Decision was reserved.