Accrington Railways - Robert Kenyon

Despite everything, the ‘private’ tour operators had routed several of their tourist excursions along the East Lancs Line, bringing Class 37s and 47s through on expensively priced trains, none of which have actually picked up any passengers in Accrington. Heading for destinations such as York, Scarborough and Carlisle via the Settle and Carlisle line, they too have added to the total of locomotives noted during 2021. We were even privileged enough to witness the passage of the prestigious Blue Pullman High Speed Train set on one of its excursions. The only regular locomotive-hauled train to come through Accrington has been the VTG Tanker Train, connecting Preston Docks with Lindsey Oil Terminal near Scunthorpe, but even this has had passages of time when it has not operated behind Class 70s. The appearance of double-headed 56s had petered out towards the end of the year.

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2022 January The year began on Tuesday the 4 th , in the manner it had maintained throughout the previous twelve months, with a locomotive movement. This time the light engine was travelling from Doncaster - Roberts Road Sheds to Carlisle - New Yard. The locomotive on this occasion was Colas Rail’s 70:813. It came through Accrington as scheduled at 10:48. Thursday the 6 th witnessed the first running of the VTG tanker train. Motive power was provided by Colas Rail’s 70:814. Details have been produced on the effects of the pandemic on the numbers of passengers travelling on the trains during the first year, January to December 2020. The Office of Road & Rail Regulation’s figures show that there was a fall of almost 75% in footfall across the counties 58 stations, from 19·9 to 4·9 millions. Blackburn Station fell from 1·3 millions to 393,000 with many smaller stations registering even more of a decline. However, the North West was faring better than the remainder of the country in December 2021, with passenger numbers. Northern registered 70% of passengers compared to pre-pandemic levels, whilst cross-Pennine services were at 72%. At various times during the year Northern had operated trains at 85% of normal, whilst the figure achieved by cross-Pennine was up to 89%. The Cabinet Member for Transport at the County Council, Charles Edwards, had stated that “Though these increases had proved to be less than anticipated and sluggish to recover, the people of Lancashire had been on day trips and short stay holidays due to the continuing uncertainty about foreign holidays”. Northern has announced that the services it provides will be reduced due to the absenteeism caused by staff, especially drivers, having to isolate due to the resurgence of the pandemic. It requested that intending passengers check before they intended to travel before commencing their journeys. The edict that all passengers travelling on public transport were again required to wear face coverings unless there was a medical reason for not doing so, has once more come into operation. Thursday the 13 th , saw the next running of the VTG tanker train, the second of the New Year and one week after the first. This time the load was fourteen double-bogie tanks, twice the length of the previous week, which saw Colas Rail’s 70:817 in charge. Despite the warnings of staff shortages during a short stay all the timetabled services were running and on time. Unit 150:123 was the front portion of the Blackburn to Kirby train, 156:420 was on the Preston to Colne local stopping train, whilst 150:102 was returning from Colne to Preston. Although there were no scheduled engineering works in the immediate area, there were still train movements associated with them. Late into the night on Thursday the 13 th , the Track Measurement Train came through topped and tailed by 37:610 and 37:219. On Saturday the 15 th , within in a short space of time just before midnight, DB Railfrieght’s 66:743 in ‘Royal Scot’ livery went east on a train of ballast wagons, followed by 66:041 on a train consisting of new sleepers and then more ballast wagons. A light engine movement was noted on Monday the 24 th , when Colas Rail’s 56:078 passed through town at mid-day en route from Carlisle to Doncaster. It had travelled by the Settle and Carlisle

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