Accrington Railways - Robert Kenyon

Despite the fact that earlier in the day another of the new 195:xxx diesel multiple units was noted passing over the Viaduct, they were still not operating on the York ↔ Blackpool North services. In fact apologies were being broadcast over the speakers to say that the cross-Pennine services which passed in Accrington Station not long after 11am, were both made up of two-car units instead of the expected three, once again exacerbating capacity problems for passengers. To add to this the westbound service was running 10 minutes late due to problems with a preceding DMU in the Halifax area. The winter timetable was due to come into force on Sunday the 15 th , of December, which was when the new units were due to be introduced into service on this route. In the afternoon of Friday the 22 nd , a high vehicle struck the railway bridge at Church & Oswaldtwistle Railway Station on its approach from the Market Street side. The resulting chaos meant Arriva Rail North cancelled or delayed some of its services, whilst engineers accessed the damage. December Following an absence of a few weeks Class 56s were back in charge of the VTG bitumen tanks again on Thursday the 5 th , the combination on this occasion being Colas Rail’s 56:094 piloting 56:087. The latest unit to be given the Arriva Rail North treatment was 158:870 out of Scotland’s Railways livery. On Saturday the 8 th , the ‘Pennine Moors Christmas Explorer’ steam special passed through Accrington, on its circular tour from Crewe to Crewe. Headed by 46100 ‘ Royal Scot ’ and tailed by a green Class 47 diesel, it ran via Warrington, Wigan, Farington Junction, Blackburn, Burnley, Copy Pit, Todmorden, Rochdale and Manchester Victoria back to Crewe. Once again the 4-6-0 built by Fowler in Derby in July 1930 and rebuilt by Stanier was in immaculate condition. It was not the first occasion that this particular engine had been through Accrington, as it was one of the three chosen to haul trains to London for Burnley’s appearance in the FA Cup Final, in May, 1962. Sunday the 15 th , was the first day of the winter timetable, which would be in operation up until May 16 th , 2020. For several weeks now engineering work between Burnley and Hebden Bridge had facilitated the substitution of coaches for trains across the Pennines. This day was no exception with coaches on duty for a 10:43 departure replacing the Blackpool North to York. It would be the same in the opposite direction with the earliest coach going west at 11:50 instead of (as in the timetable), the 11:15 train. One service which was operating was the 10:51 to Colne to Blackpool South. This was formed of 150:109 still in as obtained London Midland livery followed by 150:103 with as usual the back two carriages locked off. To compound the misery all the information screens on the platforms were displaying ‘faults’. The first normal day of operation for the Arriva Rail North timetable was not a success. To begin the 10:01 to Blackburn, where it terminates, was 18 minutes down. Then there was an announcement that the 10:11 Blackpool North to York had been cancelled, due to “the unavailability of a conductor” and the next service would be one hour later at 11:11. Going in the other direction the 10:12 from York to Blackpool North was also running 12 minutes late, although when it did arrive it was being operated by one of the new three-car 195 units #107. It would be the only one through in two hours, as 158:853 was working the 11:11. The Colne services were to all intense and purpose running to time but passengers for Blackpool South were still being obliged to change at Preston. The services between Wigan Wallgate and Blackburn were being worked by a mix of 150s and 158s coupled in multiple although the return from Blackburn instead of having four carriages was using 158:787 on its own for the opposite run. The Colne services were in the hands of 150:210 going west and 150:141 as the lead of a four-car set going east. The monotony of railcars was broken by the appearance of 56:087 piloting 56:094 on the VTG bitumen tanks. Even though it was promised that the cross-Pennine services would see the introduction of the new diesel multiple units in December, only one was noted over a two hour period. What was noticeable however was the absence of not a single Class 142 ‘Nodding Donkey’ unit on service, so perhaps they have had their last hurrah! The reasons for the cancellation of 70 services across the network on this particular day were a loss of drivers through sickness, signalling problems and mechanical faults with some units. On the following day, Tuesday the 17 th , a derailment in one of the depots meant several units were unable to access the network so more problems would ensue as a result. The 13:12 to Blackpool North was in the hands of 2-car 158:850 and by 13:30 the 11:11 to York had not shown. On Wednesday the 18 th , yet again the 10:11 was announced as cancelled, due to driver shortages this time, whilst the 11:12 was in the hands

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