Tavistock Gazette – Friday 15 August 1884
The directors of the new railway are disappointed with the meagre support given to this project during the last six months. In this support submitted to the meeting of shareholders held on Wednesday last they state that the receipts for the half year ending June amounted into £695.The number of passengers who travelled over the line during that period was 8,869 of whom no less than 8.815 were third class and only 83 first-class, while the quantity of merchandise amounted to 3,493 tonnes which added to £193 pounds to the receipts. The total receipts were at the rate of £2 12 shillings and 1d per mile per week, and of the sum of 70% is due to the Great Western Railway company for working expenses, absorbing about £487, and leaving £208 pounds as the Princetown Company’s proportion. The expenditure has amounted to £750, so that the receipts have been exceeded by £543, which, the previous deficit of £113, will be a charge against future earnings.
“These results,” the directors add, “ are not encouraging, and do not realise expectations which the directors were induced to entertain from the interest evinced locally in the promotion of the line, but probably so soon after the opening the time has not yet arrived to charge of alter the prospects.
In compliance with local demands a Sunday Service of trains has been put on as an experiment and since the 1st of July , but thus far it has been very little utilised by the inhabitants. The Great Western Railway Company have commenced the erection of a station at Yelverton junction.
