Accrington Railways - Robert Kenyon

to guard against the possibility of an engine failure, or to ensure that at a railhead destination they could bring the train back out. One must assume from this that Scarborough has run-around facilities, so that the locomotive can be detached and recoupled at the tail end of the train to bring it home. The rake was all in West Coast Railway’s maroon, and contained a dining car, where breakfast was being served as it coasted through the platforms before observing the speed restriction over the Viaduct. The locomotive carried a headboard identifying it as THE SCARBOROUGH SPA EXPRESS . Having postponed the stoppage scheduled for Saturday, July 21 st , in order to enter into further talks with Northern Rail, after these discussions had broken down the Union had called for three further strikes on consecutive Saturdays starting on September 1 st . Now both sides have been invited to the Arbitration & Conciliation Service’s offices (ACAS), to try to find a solution to this now very long running dispute. However the Department for Transport has a vested interest in that, having granted the franchise to Arriva Northern, it was on the understanding that by 2020, at least 50% of the company’s trains had to be operated as (DCO’s), Driver Controlled Operations, with no guard on the train. Whereas on Monday the 20 th , the combination of locomotives on the VTG tanker train were Colas Rail’s 56:094 and 56:096, on Wednesday the 22 nd , the pairing was 56:078 leading and 56:113 on the bogie tank wagons. It had been announced that the RMT would now be striking on six consecutive Saturdays starting on the 25 th , and going all the way through to October. On the first there were coaches providing cover on the East Lancs Line, and it was noted over a period of two hours that no trains were running at all, including those of Trans-Pennine Express. It was conversations with the co-ordinator which provided the most interesting information however. I had noted that all his instructions were being relayed to him on his mobile device, and he was not equipped with any running board, giving him details of operators, timings etc. He couldn’t even tell me whose vehicles were being used. He said he was in contact with other co-ordinators at stations along the routes they were covering, and this was how the system was now supposedly working. They would pass on details of any late running or no shows, (which happened apparently with alarming regularity), so that he could keep waiting passengers informed and he would do likewise for the others. He could also be in contact with what he described as ‘control’, if the need arose. September Even though the RMT had come to an agreement with MerseyRail in the dispute over driver only trains, Arriva Northern Rail’s had still to find a way forward in the dispute over taking guards off their trains. The first day of the month was the second continuous stoppage and the twenty-fifth since the industrial action began over a year ago. Once again coaches were replacing trains on the East Lancs Line between Blackburn and Colne and Blackburn and Todmorden, with no trains at all on this section and only 30% running overall. The co ordinator on this occasion was English and quite willing to talk about his experiences doing the job, although he was just in for a job close to home in Great Harwood. He divulged that these operatives are only granted travel expenses if they are required to go over 21 miles to their assignments. He also said that one coach would be going straight from Accrington to Blackburn (ex-Todmorden) whilst the ex Colne would be calling at Church & Oswaldtwistle and Rishton en-route. On Monday the 10 th , the combination of locomotives on the VTG Tanker Train was Colas Rail’s 56:094 piloting 56:087 and two days later it was Class 70:811, making a second appearance. On Thursday the 13 th , a lone 56, #096 was in charge, but the main point of discussion was the late running Preston to Leeds service. It was so down on time that it crawled through Accrington’s Railway Station without stopping. One could only assume that the driver was going so slowly that if he had seen anyone on the platform he would have halted, and that the guard had gone through the train to see if anyone was going to alight there. Not only this but the train would be terminating at Bradford Interchange, and turning back to Preston with those wishing to journey beyond having to change trains there for stations to Leeds. On Friday the 14 th , the West Coast Train’s Pullman stock was noted going east through Accrington topped by 47:845 and tailed by 47:832. The tables were set out for dining and the table lights were all on, but there was no trace of any passengers. Presumably this was a positioning run for Saturday excursion. The Rail Support Services were in operation again on Saturday the 15 th , and this time the person co-ordinating the movement of passengers was extremely forthcoming and co-operative. The fact that minibuses could now be used to cope it seemed quite adequately with the numbers travelling between

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