Accrington Railways - Robert Kenyon

the stations at Great Harwood, Simonstone and Padiham for passenger traffic and has submitted to the Council particulars of the reasons leading to this decision, and details of the facilities which will continue to be avail- able such as Town Holiday and Excursion Trains. The Council, along with the other authorities concerned, is Considering the proposals and is anxious to have the Views of all persons interested and affected. A PUBLIC MEETING WILL BE HELD AT MERCER HALL ON MONDAY the 11th of MARCH at 7-30 p.m. (Water Street entrance), and YOU are invited to attend and give your views. Commercial and industrial users of the railway facilities are invited as well as private individuals. If you are unable to attend you may send your Observations in writing to the undersigned AS SOON AS POSSIBLE. A. S. BINGHAM. Clerk of the Council. Town Hall, Great Harwood.

March Objectors met with the North West Transport Users Committee in Manchester to try to obtain a stay of execution. The Chairman of Great Harwood UDC, John Wyatt, was also in attendance and afterwards stated, “British Railways had done nothing to encourage the residents of the town to use the trains, by providing an inefficient service”. Others suggested that the operation should be turned over to diesel railcars, which would improve the viability of the service, but BR had dismissed this suggestion ‘out of hand’! But locally it was reported that even the NWTUC had withdrawn its objections to the closure. There could be no doubt that there was some chicanery involved by the Central Committee of BR. Mullards had opened a brand new factory adjacent to the station at Simonstone, and it was claimed that as many as 400 employees would have use the train to get to and from work on time, if the 06:32 from Blackburn had been retimed to depart ten minutes earlier at 06:22. In actual fact not only did BR claim this was impossible, but then removed the Simonstone stop from the timetable on the very same day that the Mullards works commenced production. The 06:32 was the only train throughout the entire day which omitted the Simonstone stop! Blackpool was the destination on the 2 nd . Coventry was the destination on Sunday, the 3 rd , and on the 24 th , the choices were Hull, Llandudno or Workington again, with Chesterfield the destination on the 31 st . Friday, the 29 th , was the Grand National Meeting, and a cafeteria car was included in a special to the Sefton Arms Station, leaving at 11:40. The fare was 7/6d and 1st Class was available at 12/3d, with the return train departing at 17:22. Football specials ran on Saturday, the 23 rd , to Doncaster for Rovers away game, departing Accrington at 11:50 returning at 17:33 with a fare of 9/3d. Departing Accrington on the 08:33 with a change in Stockport, Burnley fans could go to Wolverhampton for 15/- return. British Railways was now advertising ‘All Inclusive Holidays in Scotland’ from £17 – 10s – 6d. April Bookings were regulated on the 23:55 overnight departure to London for the England v Scotland game, and returning from Euston at 23:37, the fare was 43/-. On Monday, the 8 th , at 19:24, the parcels train for Blackburn, Stockport and London, which was running some 13 minutes behind time, was reversing out of Platform 2 in Accrington Station in order to go on to the through main line, when it collided with a light engine coming over the viaduct from the Huncoat direction. This resulted in the end van coming off the rails. The jolt was so severe that several parcels fell onto the guard, Harry Morris, of Astley Bridge, Bolton. He was taken to Victoria Hospital but was not detained. Stationmaster Pennington immediately summoned the breakdown crane, and instructed

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