Accrington Railways - Robert Kenyon

that they will operate on the service connecting Blackpool North and York, which means of course they will pass through Accrington. The full £500 millions investment will see twenty-five Class 195:xxx units numbered 195:001 to 195:025 and thirty-three Class 195:1xx units numbered 195:101 to 195:133. All of these have a maximum speed of 100 mph and electrically operated double leaf, plug doors. There is no connectivity between these units. Due to the delays in production the construction of the 195:xxx units had been transferred to a new factory in Newport, South Wales. The fleet has been funded by Eversholt Rail. More units have been reliveried including 150:104 and 150:121 from First blue, 150:114 and 158:905 from Northern and 158:782 and 158:867 from ScotRail. Having appeared not to have run during the first week of the month, the VTG tanker train was operating on Monday, the 8 th , with 56:087 piloting 56:078. On Thursday, the 18 th , noted passing from east to west high upon the Viaduct was the first sighting of one of Arriva Rail North’s new 195:1xx 3-car units, possibly 105 which had been based in Huddersfield for driver training on the York - Blackpool North services. It wasn’t carrying any passengers and I can only assume it was on driver familiarisation or more likely clearance trials, to make sure the carriages did not foul any of the infrastructures on the lines between Hall Royd Junction, Todmorden and Farington Junction, Preston. It had been postulated that these new trains would be introduced on the service connecting York with Blackpool North in the not too distant future, although it could be towards the end of the year. Meanwhile more cascaded and refurbished units are receiving Arriva Rail North’s corporate livery. The latest batch included 150:104 and 150:130 from First Group (blue), 155:344 from Northern’s blue/purple and 158:867 and 158:868 from ScotRail. There was plenty of activity on the East Lancashire Line on Thursday, the 25 th . Just before 09:00 a special headed by two Class 37s headed east on a mixed-rake special operated by West Coast Railways. It would return again in the early evening. The majority of DMUs on service are now in Arriva Rail North’s livery with of course the exception of the doomed 142s and 158:853, which carried some display vinyls. Unit 142:042 was the rear of two heading for Blackburn from the Southport service and this returned on its own for the Southport leg. It is still necessary to change in Preston for the Blackpool South Line beyond Kirkham. The Class 56 locomotives on the VTG tanks were named 049 piloting 087. Despite the poor publicity which accompanied their franchise debut, it has now been suggested that Arriva Rail North will be ordering more new trains to follow on from the Class 195 diesels and the 331 electric multiple units. These it is said will be constructed at the new CAF factory in Newport, South Wales. They estimate that the new generation of trains will generate enough new passengers to cause overcrowding and will therefore be necessary to cope with these increasing numbers. August Having maintained the combination of 56s 049 and 087 for several days, on Thursday the 2 nd, it was back to haulage by 70:819. More powerful and less noisy than the older locomotives the Class 70s seem to make the climb out of town not only quieter but also faster. It seemed as though driver instruction on the new Class 195:xxx units had become a regular occurrence, as on Saturday, the 3 rd , at approximately 09:25, one was noted passing passenger-less west over the Viaduct. On Monday the 5 th , a visit to Accrington Railway Station revealed that although we had been assured that things have improved the 10:11 service to Blackpool North, had been cancelled due to another train having failed further east. It did however appear almost half-an-hour down and did not stop to pick up passengers, even though quite a few were waiting on Platform 2. This begged the question, was no-one wanting to alight in Accrington? If, as usually is the case this service would probably turn short in Preston, in order to get back on schedule for the eastbound return to York. Passengers were being informed that their best bet was to catch the stopping train to Preston and change trains there, as indeed they still would have to do if their destination was Blackpool South. The Southport to Blackburn service had 150:109 as the leading set in a four-car formation still in Midland Trains livery. This would turn in Blackburn and return as a two-car set. Class 142 units were still active on the Colne - Preston locals, despite the fact that they are supposedly being gradually withdrawn. Others of the new Class 195 units have been noted through Accrington on driver training duties including 195:110 and 111. They are not due to take over the service between York and Blackpool North until the end of the year. The VTG tanker train was in the capable hands of Colas Rails 70:816 on this occasion.

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