Accrington Railways - Robert Kenyon

services, whereas 1,500 per week were required in order to make the line pay”. However, on being put to a vote the motion was carried. A spokesman at Accrington Station announced, “Bookings had been good but not as heavy as in previous years partially due to the weather, but also due to the indecision over the holiday dates. Blackpool had again been the favourite, but even then trains to the resort had not been crowded”. Day returns to London started again on the 11 th , at 48/6d, with the choice of going overnight on Thursday or Friday at 22:15 or on Wednesday or Saturday mornings on the 08:00. October ( The controversy rumbled on about the choice of holiday dates, and approximately 8,500 workers in the local engineering works were now to be balloted as to the June or July dates .) Excursions during the month were to Barrow on Sunday, the 13 th , and day trips to Belfast via Heysham every Friday, with a change in Blackburn from the 21:15 at a fare of 43/-. This offer would be on up until December the 6 th . ( It was right at the end of this month that the results of the holiday ballot were made known, and the old July dates were favoured by a majority of 4 to 1. ) Novembe r Burnley were away at Stoke City on Saturday, the 2 nd , with a return fare of 11/6d from Huncoat, 11/3d from Accrington, whilst a week later Rovers were at Everton and a return to Kirkdale was 7/9d from town and 7/6d from Church. The General Purposes Committee met when the Town Clerk submitted correspondence from the Town Clerk of Bury, stating that at a recent meeting of his Council a resolution had been adopted protesting against the proposals contained in a report from the British Railways Board on the closing of the Manchester  Bury  Bacup, the Manchester  Bury  Accrington  Colne and the Manchester  Bury (Bolton Street) railway lines. This was to be directed towards the Minister of Transport requesting that “In view of the social and economic implications which the closing of these lines would have on the area, he should institute a public enquiry into both road and rail transport services in the region”. In this connection a ‘Working Party’ had been set up to investigate the details of hardship which would occur to the travelling public as a result of these closures. It had been recommended that every authority which had at least one station in its area, should conduct a whole-day census of commuters in order to ascertain the views of those using these stations. It concluded that the cost of this survey so far as printing was concerned, should be borne out of the rateable values. It was resolved that Accrington Corporation would participate in the proposed survey. MP Harry Hynd had questioned Minister of Transport once again on the subject of pensions for retired railway employees. The reply was that the BTB had no plans to make any further concessions, and would not therefore be making any more money available. ( It is interesting to note that in this same debate the modernisation of Euston Station was discussed, which included the demolition of the Euston Arch so beloved by Poet Laureate John Betjeman, whilst for the first time questions were asked about a ‘fixed’ rail link to the Continent via a Channel tunnel ). Every Sunday during the month there was a special at 10:01 to Lancaster & Morecambe at 8/-, whilst the final two Sunday specials revisited Barrow on the 17 th and Hull on the 24 th . The General Purposes Committee also pledged to give its full support for a survey into the Accrington to Bury line. December On Sunday, the 1 st , an excursion ran all stations from Lancaster to Barrow, and this was repeated a fortnight later. Burnley fans would have to change from Victoria Station in Manchester to Piccadilly, ( note change of name from London Road ), to watch the team play at Sheffield Wednesday, having departed Accrington at 11:39. The return train from Wadsley Bridge would depart at 16:46 or as an alternative from Sheffield Victoria at 17:45 via the Woodhead route. The Regional Officer for BR in Manchester would not comment on the rumours surrounding the fate of the direct line between Accrington and Bury, even though there was a ‘big shakeup’ of staff already underway, with a number of the principal posts having been transferred to Preston. One of these employees had told the local paper, “There is every indication that it is their intention to close the line to Bury within the next six months, September at the latest”. It seemed as though the Conservatives were trying to push through as many of these proposals as was practical before the next general election, in case there was a change of Government and the Beeching axe was blunted, for an enquiry would be necessary before they could be implemented. Haslingden Council had already asked LCC to support them

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