Accrington Railways - Robert Kenyon

As I promised in a letter when I addressed you that as soon as I was in a position to communicate anything definite for you to pass on to your Council in connection with Accrington Railway Station, I would do so without delay. In fulfilment of this promise I am pleased to be able to inform you now, at their meeting this week the LMS Board of Directors approved a scheme for alterations and improvements to the town’s railway station. These would include the under-mentioned works - a) More than doubling the size of the Booking Hall, whilst improving access thereto from the approach road and platforms respectively. b) The erection of a veranda on the approach side for the protection of passengers alighting from and departing on road vehicles. c) Extending the Booking Office, with a more convenient layout and access to ticket windows. d) The provision of a footpath along the side of the Station approach, to enable foot passengers to keep clear of road vehicles. It may be confidently relied upon that no avoidable delay will occur in the execution of this work. I hope that when completed it will be found that the source of complaint that has from time to time arisen from the difficulties of ingress and egress at this station will have been satisfactorily and entirely eliminated. Yours faithfully, J. H. Follows. It was resolved that the Town Clerk (W. H. Warhurst), should write in suitable terms to acknowledge this correspondence. 1928 January By 1928 Accrington and district had been absorbed into what was designated the ‘Central Division’ of the London, Midland & Scottish Railway, which encompassed all the former lines of the Lancashire & Yorkshire. The Watch Committee considered during their meeting, the plans submitted by the LMS showing the proposed alterations they were to make at Accrington Railway Station. The Town Clerk was instructed to thank the Company for the courtesy of submitting these plans for scrutiny. With increasing road traffic, concern was voiced that several of the railway bridges in Accrington needed urgent attention in order to meet the current demands. 1929 January At a meeting of the Town Council, a letter was received from the LMS stating they had no objection to the widening of the Woodnook Railway arch over Nuttall Street, and would be prepared to consider any scheme put forward by the Council, whilst requesting that the ‘plan and sections’ be submitted to them for approval. However, they would not be prepared to meet any of the costs of these works. The Borough Surveyor was asked to draw up plans and sections accordingly, along with estimates and the total cost of this scheme and submit them when completed. February The General Works Committee met, when the Borough Surveyor reported on the meeting the Chairman and he had attended at the LMS Railway Company’s Divisional Engineer’s Office, where the plans for the widening of the Woodnook railway arch had been discussed. This matter was then referred to the General Purposes Committee for further consideration. March At a meeting of the Town Council, the Chairman reported that following the meeting he and the Borough Surveyor had with the representatives of the LMS Railway Company, it had been decided that the improvements to the Woodnook railway arch could now go ahead. The work would be carried out by

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