Accrington Railways - Robert Kenyon

The final speaker was the Interim Stakeholder Manager of Rail North, Pete Brunskill. He explained that his role was to co-ordinate and oversee all projects involving public and freight transport in our region, and was the equivalent of a ‘watchdog, acting in the best interests of public transport users of railways in general whilst encompassing all forms of transport. May The West Coast Railway Touring Company had recently been in trouble with the Office of Rail Regulation for violations of the code of safety for privately operated railway excursions, and had their operating licence suspended for a period. However, on regaining the right to operate tours they were noted passing through Accrington on Saturday the 7 th , with a Pullman excursion. It was observed respecting the 10mph speed restriction over the Viaduct, and 47:815 was topping the train with 47:813 tailing it at the rear. Using locomotives in this way provides some security should one of the train engines fail, and also the necessity of having to run around the train at a railhead destination. July With regularity the VTG tanker train is still in the hands of Colas Rail and the locomotive heading east on the morning of the 15 th was 60:076. September Having paid a visit to Church & Oswaldtwistle’s Railway Station on Monday the 5 th , I was fortunate in that it coincided with the passing of the VTG tanker train with 60:047 in charge, the friendly driver giving me a wave as he went through at reduced speed. October It had been put forward as a serious intention that Arriva Northern Rail was to reopen the long disused coal concentration sidings to the west of Darwen Street Road Bridge in Blackburn, as a stabling and refuelling point for the new fleet of CAF Diesel Multiple Units amongst others, due to come into the fleet during the period leading up to 2020. It once used to house a Class ‘03’ shunter on a semi-permanent basis to handle the coal wagons which came in. Due to engineering works a ‘Rail Support service’ was replacing trains on the morning of the last Sunday in October. November In a continuation of the work started on the previous weekend, trains were being replaced by coaches throughout the first Sunday of the month. As is the norm coaches were replacing trains on the East Lancashire Line on Sunday the 13 th , which also happened to be this year’s Remembrance Sunday. On Tuesday the 15 th the locomotive hauling the VTG tanker train east was Colas Rail’s 60:087 which was again on this duty on Thursday the 17 th . It appears that this was the locomotive of choice throughout the entire week as it was noted again on two more days. More rail support services were in operation on the 20 th when services on the Colne to Blackpool South line, the Blackpool North to York line and the Blackburn to Wigan Wallgate services were all being replaced by coaches, as the section of line to the east of Accrington was closed undergoing more essential engineering work. Most of the longer routes were being operated between Preston and Hebden Bridge, whilst the Colne service was being operated throughout by coaches. It was interesting to note that the staff co-ordinating these coaches were now wearing Abelio badges. I was informed that even though they are on zero hours contracts, now at least they are given several weeks’ notice of duties. The pay for this was on an enhanced pay scale. The final stoppage for engineering works of the year came on the last Sunday of the month when as on the previous Sunday, coaches were replacing trains between Colne, Hebden Bridge, Todmorden and Preston. Conversations with the Co-ordinators revealed that even though they are working for a Train Operating Company, in this case the hi-vis jackets suggested ‘Arriva in conjunction with Northern’ they do not receive free travel passes. Instead they are given a fuel allowance of 40 pence per mile to and from duties which can be as far away as South Yorkshire. On the 28 th the locomotive in charge of the VTG tanker train was Colas Rail’s 60:002. It has been predicted by Network Rail that they have an aspiration to increase the number of trains between Blackburn and Manchester over the next five years as part of a general upgrade of services in the North West. 2017 January On the financial front the Integrated Public Transport Budget was £42∙1 millions, whereas the Cabinet forecast was £42∙694 millions, and a public over-spend of £879,000 on public and integrated transport was predicted during 2016/17. Some of this could be attributed to lower than predicted ticket sales on the Blackburn to Manchester train service, even though numbers were in line with predictions.

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