Accrington Railways - Robert Kenyon

Sunday the 24 th , leaving at 12:48, arriving at 13:46 and returning at 20:25 at the cheap return fare of 45p per adult and 23p per child. On Saturday the 7 th , there was yet another of the popular Mystery Trips at £1:25p per adult 90p for a child. This one would start in Nelson, calling at Burnley Central, Accrington and Blackburn, and would call in at Rose Grove on the return leg only. For passengers intending to visit the Motor Show in London on Saturday the 21 st , there was a special leaving at 07:40 and arriving in Euston at 11:40. The return was overnight at 23:30 arriving back in Accrington at 04:44 on Sunday morning. Tickets were £3:25p and £2 for a child. On Saturday the 30 th , the destinations were Newcastle-upon-Tyne or Whitley Bay, which although not a Mystery, tickets were at the normal Mystery train fares. Timings were Accrington 09:15, Newcastle at 12:27 and Whitley Bay at 12:50, returning at 18:40 and 19:05 respectively. November On Saturday the 4 th , departing at 07:39 and back in town at 22:24 was another train to a Mystery destination. Special excursions were also being marketed as ‘Showstopper Mini-Holidays’, which would operate on Thursdays, November the 9 th , December the 14 th , January 18 th and February 15 th , 1973. They were for ‘Showboat’ at the Adelphi Theatre, or ‘Gone With The Wind’ at Drury Lane. The package included one night’s B&B at a Grand Met Hotel, tickets for one of these shows and return rail fares, for the all-inclusive price of £7:75p for an adult and £5:50p for a child. Over the 18 th and 19 th , there was a weekend in Torquay using a special train to Preston to connect with the train departing at midnight on Friday the 17 th . The fares were for an adult £6:95p and for a child sharing a room £4:50p. There would be breakfast on arrival, then a coach tour visiting Paignton, Brixham and Babbacombe, one night’s stay in a three star hotel with evening meal and breakfast, and free membership to a Torquay nightspot. Light refreshments would be available on both long distance trains. Light refreshments were also available on the Mystery excursion departing on Saturday the 25 th . It was off at 07:33 and back for 20:15, and this time the fares were £1:50p for adults and £1 for a child. At a meeting of the General Purposes Committee, the Town Clerk reported on correspondence from the North East Lancs Development Committee, relating to a scheme put forward by “Anti-Poll” for the provision of ‘fast’ rail services linking Blackburn with Manchester Victoria Station, via Accrington, Rose Grove, Burnley - Manchester Road, Todmorden, Rochdale and then continuing on to Salford, Bolton, Bromley Cross, and Darwen back to Blackburn. However, this would entail the withdrawal of the existing Blackburn to Manchester and return services via Darwen and Bolton, also the Preston to Colne services with the closing of some of the smaller stations. The Town Clerk reported he had written to the Secretary of the N.E. Lancs Development Committee, to seek clarification of these proposals. Expressions of concern were voiced by members of the National Union of Railwaymen on their future after the proposed reorganisation. The local Branch Secretary, Mr Wilfred Bridges, met with Arthur Davidson MP to seek his support after another announcement was made that Accrington was to close as a parcels office, along with other towns along the line and these would be transferred to either Bolton or Oldham depots. Railwaymen had been informed that there would be redundancies but as of then no details of who, and how many would go. Mr Bridges said he expected to receive the news in December for the notices to be served in the New Year. Including the staff who maintained the delivery vehicles, he estimated that up to 60 people were involved locally. Arthur Davidson said, he had already spoken with Richard Marsh, the Chairman of BR, but had solicited no reply as yet. He felt that this was another move towards closing the line altogether, and pledged to give the railwaymen his full support in any way possible, including taking their case up with the Minister of Transport once he had received a response from BR. December Mr Davidson did receive a reply, but stated he was far from satisfied with its contents with regard to the proposed closure of the parcels office. Mr Marsh had indicated that the reason for the closing of the parcels service in Accrington and Blackburn and to concentrate it at the two named depots was to cut costs and to make it more efficient. He said - “The new arrangements would see parcels loaded after collection in Accrington, onto the ‘trunk’ trains, and in the opposite direction delivered on the day they arrive at the railhead. Full-load, freight facilities in the area would be rationalised by transferring the delivered

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