Accrington Railways - Robert Kenyon

should institute a census of the number of passengers travelling via the Accrington to Bury and Manchester line on Friday, June 5 th , next. However, it was on Wednesday, the 3 rd , passengers travelling between Accrington and Manchester were offered census forms to fill in, to explain how they would be affected if the line were to close. These completed forms would be sent to Bury Corporation, who would collate the information and send the result back to each of the authorities involved. A total of 138 forms were distributed by officials from the three departments of Accrington Council who were on duty from 06:00 to 22:00 on the station. Of these the majority were given out before 13:00, and it was recorded that the staff at the station treated the Council’s Officials with courtesy during this exercise. No date had as yet been set for the closure, but if it was to be believed that the British Transport Commission intended to end services in September, they would have had by now to give formal notice. There were a whole host of destinations where the cheaper day returns were available, and these are reproduced as follows, all prices quoted are from Accrington - Ainsdale 8/- Bamber Bridge 3/10d Bess o’ the Barn 4/2d Blackburn 1/10d Blackpool 8/- Bolton 4/11d Bowker Vale 4/11d Brierfield 2/9d Bromley Cross 4/8d Burnley 2/1d Burn Naze 8/- Bury 3/7d Cherry Tree 2/6d Church 5d Clifton Junction 4/11d Colne 3/8d Crumpsall 4/11d Darwen 3/1d Earby 4/8d Entwistle 3/10d Farnworth 5/2d Fleetwood 8/- Hapton 1/5d Heaton Park 4/11d Helmshore 1/8d Huncoat 8d Kearsley 5/2d Kirkham 6/10d Layton 8/- Lostock Hall 4/8d Lytham 8/- Manchester 4/11d Mill Hill 2/2d Moses Gate 5/2d Nelson 3/1d Pendleton 4/11d Pleasington 2/9d Poulton-le-Fylde 8/- Preston 4/8d Prestwich 4/5d Radcliffe 3/10d Ramsbottom 2/6d Rishton 1/- Rose Grove 1/11d St Annes 8/- Salford 4/11d Salwick 6/- Skipton 6/4d Squires Gate 8/- Summerseat 2/9d Thornton Cleveleys 8/- Thornton/Craven 5/2d Todd Lane 4/1d Todmorden 4/1d Whitefield 4/- Woodland Road 4/11d Wyre Dock 8/- - - - These tickets were available Mondays to Fridays outward after 09:30 and return by any train by a direct route, all day on Saturdays and Sundays outward and return by any train. Over the first weekend of June the town’s MP, Harry Hynd, led a group to meet with the North West Regional Line Manager in Manchester, to discuss the probable closure of the line, but again he reported that the BR officials remained noncommittal. He felt they had made a good case for the postponement until at least October, when a possible change of Government might take a different view on the closure of this and other lines. On the 27 th , the prospect of the closure of the direct route between Accrington and Manchester on September 7 th , became a reality and even the possibility of operating a shuttle service between Accrington and Bury was ruled out. By doing so, it was estimated that BR would save a quarter of a million pounds. It was also reported that the ‘through’ service to Blackpool would be suspended and would only operate direct during the summer months. Alderman Wallwork said he had assumed that a closure could not be enacted until after a public hearing. On this same day ‘Crab’ 2-6-0 #42869, then working from Rose Grove Sheds, was on a special to Blackpool Central, which called at Great Harwood. If drivers, firemen or guards were required to overnight in the resort, rooms were set aside at the King Edward VII Hotel for this purpose. However, despite all the cuts special excursions by train were organised as follows - On Sunday, June 28 th to Millom, departing Accrington at 11:03 for 17/-, and to Blackpool on the 10:43 from Huncoat, 10:25 from Accrington and 10:28 from Church & Oswaldtwistle for 5/9d, and this was repeated on Sunday, July 5 th , departing from Accrington at 10:55 and Church & Oswaldtwistle at 10:58. July On Saturday, the 5 th , there was a ‘circular tour’ to Grange-over-Sands departing Accrington at 11:43 for 10/6d. Another excursion went to Barrow-in-Furness and intermediate stations departing Accrington at 10:38 and Church & Oswaldtwistle at 10:41 for 13/9d. On Monday, July 6 th , there was a North Wales ‘circular’ to Caernarfon and Barmouth for 27/-, to be repeated again on Monday the 30 th both departing Accrington at 08:10. On the 7 th , BR’s Five Year Plan was made public, and it was announced that Accrington’s Railway Station would be given a ‘facelift’. Mr J. Pollard, the Divisional Manager, said it would include enhanced

276