Accrington Railways - Robert Kenyon

November The General Works Committee heard an application from the LMS for permission to close temporarily a footpath adjoining the Ley Viaduct, in order to renew the footpath thereat. No objections were raised to allowing this request. December At a meeting of the Watch Committee reference was made to the lack of adequate lighting in the subway connecting Crossland Street to Grant Street as well as in addition its approaches. It was resolved - (1) That the Lighting Superintendent should arrange for the provision of two lamps close to the entrance on the Crossland Street side, and in the back street leading off from Grant Street. (2) That the Town Clerk should communicate with the LMS with regard to providing lighting within the subway itself, and to notify them of the Corporation’s intentions to illuminate its approaches. 1944 January At a meeting of the Lighting Department the Town Clerk reported that he, along with the Lighting Superintendent, had spoken with the LMS Railway’s Gas Engineer with regard to the lighting of the subway, and he had agreed to recommend to his Company that it should be lit using electricity. The Town Clerk reported that since this meeting he had received a letter from the LMS suggesting that the Corporation should shoulder the cost of providing this lighting. He stated that the Railway Company were in fact the ones responsible for this, and it was resolved to leave the matter in his hands. The passing was recorded of Mr John Bedford, of Exchange Street, Accrington, who had worked as a local Signalman on the railway for 40 years. February Meeting again the Lighting Department received the Town Clerk’s report of how he had subsequently received a communication from the Chief Engineer of the LMS, stating that they had now put in hand the lighting of the subway in question. April The Lighting Superintendent asked for the Watch Committee’s guidance on the continued lighting of the two lamps at the entrances to the LMS’s subway on Crossland Street and Grant Street respectively. It was resolved they could remain lit all the way through the summer months. There was a general ‘don’t travel’ edict suggested for the Easter break, early in the month the most popular train to Blackpool, the 10:05am could not be booked in advance. Surprisingly few people came off the final train from Blackpool and the railways were quieter than they had been for very many years. May This picture was replicated at Whitsuntide, when Accrington Station was almost deserted on Saturday afternoon. Stationmaster Unsworth explained, “We had stopped taking advanced bookings for those who chose to ignore the appeal to stay at home. Passengers were surprisingly unhurried in finding seats on trains behaving in a most orderly manner”, he continued. Blackpool was yet again the most popular resort, followed by Morecambe and then Southport. The Lighting Department met when the Town Clerk reported that he had received a letter from the LMS Railway Company, indicating they were still considering the question of liability for the maintenance of the lighting within the subway and would communicate their decision at the earliest opportunity. June The Town Council made an amendment to the May minutes of the Watch & Lighting Departments, which was moved and seconded, as an addendum to the report on the question of lighting the subway - “ That in the interests of public safety, the LMS should be requested to illuminate it forthwith without prejudice to the question of legal liability. ” On being put to a vote this motion was declared carried. It was therefore resolved that with the addition of the foregoing resolution, these minutes would be adopted as the policy of the Council. Shortly afterwards the Lighting Department received a letter from the LMS stating they still would not accept responsibility for the lighting of this subway and therefore they would put the work in hand without prejudice to the legal position. It was decided to leave this matter in the hands of the Town Clerk to resolve. A verdict of accidental death was recorded on Frank Hutchinson, of Hartmann Street, Accrington, who had died as a result of injuries sustained on the night of February the 13 th , after falling from platform 5 at Accrington Station. He and his wife had come off the train from Blackburn when he went to visit the gentleman’s toilet. Whilst he was inside the lights over part of the station had been extinguished as part of the blackout precautions. When he came out he became disorientated and walked over the edge onto the

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