It's not uncommon on Air New Zealand when I flight takes off a little late for the Captain to come on and say they'll make up some time on the flight. Yesterday was the first time I had heard it on a train. We set off about ten minutes late and over the intercom came the usual apology for setting off late, the one we get nearly every day that is. Apparently the problem yet again was slippery tracks which had slowed down the trains on the way to Johnsonville. But then came the report that they would try and make up time on the return trip to Wellington, because it was downhill. Now this made me wonder that if the train could go faster than it normally did, why didn't it go faser all the time and not get late in the first place. But more surprisingly, it the train couldn't get traction on the uphill journey to Johnsonville, how come it was now safe to go faster than normal on the downhill trip to Wellington. It started to look like slippery tracks aloow a faster return on the downhill section and fortuantely appear to have no effect on braking. I knew though there was no need for concern, the train predictably lost more time on the downhill section and was even later to Wellington.
