Accrington Railways - Robert Kenyon

of course not full time but on zero-hours contracts, which meant of course they had to be available when called upon from the co-ordinating centre based in York. They would be looking after Trans-Pennine Express’s passengers also. On this morning three coaches were required at Blackpool North Station as there were over 80 people waiting of the first train of the day to East Lancashire, which had caused a knock-on effect as even after two in the afternoon the service from Blackpool was operating some 25 minutes down. I was reliably informed that the same would rigmarole happen again on Sunday, August 23 rd . August As predicted rail replacement coach services were out on duty on Sunday the 23 rd , with the same operators providing vehicles as before, including local firm Rigby. Also that week the bitumen tankers train had as traction Colas Rail’s 60:076 returning from Preston Docks, whilst on Friday the 28 th the VTG train was note returning east from Preston Docks with Colas Rail’s 60:047 in charge. September On Tuesday the 1 st , the VTG tanker train was noted returning east from Preston Docks with Colas Rail’s 60:095 on the front, whilst twice during the final week of the month Colas Rail’s 60:047 was again in charge. October At the beginning of the month Colas Rail’s 60:002 was the locomotive on the VTG tanker train and was noted returning east from Preston Docks. On the 15 th , at the meeting of the Hyndburn Cabinet Public Transport Group, one of the attendees, a Councillor and spokesperson for Oswaldtwistle Civic Society, informed the group they were continuing to do work to improve Church & Oswaldtwistle Railway Station, and one of the more onerous jobs would be to pressure-wash the subway between platforms 1 & 2, which had always been dark, but was now also dank and dirty. Because of the doubling of much of the track between Darwen and Bromley Cross it would now be possible to increase the frequency of trains between Blackburn and Manchester from every hour to every 30-minutes, which would make it more possible to have the Manchester to Blackburn service via Rochdale, Burnley Manchester Road and Accrington to continue through Darwen to Bolton and Manchester Victoria, with a service going around the full circle in the opposite direction. Mentioned on several occasions at various meetings, Network Rail had stated that this was a long-term objective, but could not be progressed until the line had been ‘extensively’ doubled. On Wednesday the 21 st , the VTG tanker train was note returning east from Preston Docks with Colas Rail’s 60:021 at the head, whereas on Monday the 26 th , the tanker train was noted returning east from Preston Docks with Colas Rail’s 60:056 in charge. November The line adjacent to Huncoat Railway Station was closed from 23:45 on Saturday the 21 st , for two days, in order that the signal box which used to control the level crossing was demolished. It had been earmarked to go from the time when the crossing was modified to be controlled by the Preston Panel. It was a three-storey building, and on Sunday morning the 22 nd , all the roof and the wooded top deck had been taken down and loaded into skips for disposal, leaving just the bulk of the brickwork in place. Meanwhile the old track-work running through the platforms at Accrington Railway Station had been lifted, new ballast filled in and new rails put down. The permanent way over the Viaduct had also been similarly replaced. It was all part of Network Rail’s upgrading of the East Lancashire Line, as a part of a £25 billions investment programme in the infrastructure of the railways over the next five years. On this occasion Freightliner were providing a Class 66 to shunt the ballast hoppers. The old track-work was looking extremely tired with the check rails on the curves still held in place by wooden blocks on the curved sections, and the whole of the sleepers black with oil. Although it once again meant that Rail Replacement was being provided by coaches, the work was done to time despite the absolutely shocking weather, with high winds and torrential rain during the entire process. December Sunday the 8 th saw more Rail Replacements on the East Lancashire Line, this time with work ongoing between Accrington and Blackburn. Northern Rail’s staff was on duty to co-ordinate the transfer of passengers off the trains terminating in Accrington Station onto coaches for stations to the west including Preston, and Blackpool North and South. This would be the final weekend of stoppages for this year, with the winter timetable due to start on the 13 th , just one week away. It was announced that Arriva had been awarded the train operating franchise currently held by Northern Rail. This means that the foreign consortium of Serco/Abellio would no longer be operating the trains on the East Lancashire Line in 2016, and instead another foreign owner company will be taking

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