Bleak future for Ulster's railways is anticipated (1933)

He told the News Letter: “It is my personal opinion that when the strike is over the services can be resumed only on a considerably curtailed basis, both in the passenger and goods departments, and if that is the case the company cannot employ the same number of men as heretofore. Obviously, the company cannot afford to pay wages to men for whom there is no work”

He went on to point out that as a result of the stoppage it was inevitable that certain passenger and goods traffic “hitherto borne by the railways” would definitely go to the road.

He added: “In any event, a long time would elapse before the railways will be able to attract such traffic back to its former course.

“It is not a question of the payment of the certain standard of wages at the moment,” he said, “but wholly a question as to what the company can afford to pay its staff in view of the fact that before the stoppage occurred the income was less than the expenditure. No industry can afford to pay out more than it can earn.”

Mr Lockhart said that he was convinced the only means by which the public could have a satisfactory and economically sound system of transport with efficiency in every direction and at the lowest cost was for both rail and road transport to be placed on a public utility basis.

Mr Lockhart concluded: “Most people appreciate the effect on the community, trade, and industry were the railways to cease operating, but probably very few realise how near to them is this calamity. Unless something is done and quickly such an occurrence cannot be escaped. The present stoppage has certainly not improved the outlook.

“Courage and unselfishness for the common good must be exercised if transport in Ulster is to be placed on a sound and healthy basis.”