Accrington Railways - Robert Kenyon

staff to cover for absenteeism, late running or any other unforeseen problem, and this has been the underlying reason for so many cancellations. One of the RMT’s major issues is the continued de-staffing of railway stations, people being replaced by machines, even in townships with reasonable large populations. This also discriminates against the older generation who are not familiar with this technology, or are reluctant to use an alternative to cash. There was a flurry of activity between 07:15 and 07:40 with Colas Rail‘s 70:801 heading west towards Preston Docks with the VTG tanker train. Next was Northern’s 150:136 (52136+57136) on a local. This unit was fitted with experimental safety equipment in 2022 on a trial, which if it proved successful, would be rolled out onto other DMUs. Next up was GB Railfreight’s 66:720 named ‘ Wascosa ’, on a rake of empty ballast wagons en route to Doncaster from Leyland. This engine is owned by Eversholt Rail (UK). Earlier in the week the loco in charge had was 66:747 ‘ Made In Sheffield ’. Both these engines are maintained at Doncaster Robert’s Road, by ElectroMotive Diesel Services. The regular VTG tanker train was hauled by 70:805 on Wednesday and Friday the 21 st and 23 rd , although it had been 70:804 earlier in the week. Another apparently regular working, is the ballast train between Leyland and Doncaster Down Decoy Sidings, for on the same day it was operating behind GB Rail Freight’s 66:778 later in the week the loco was 66:772 to be followed by 66773 the next week. On Thursday the 29 th the engine on charge of the VTG tanks was 56:091 named ‘ Driver Wayne Gaskell – The Godfather ’. This was not a Colas Rail loco but one belonging to UK Rail Leasing based in Leicester. Another feature was the distinctive metallic silvery livery of Devon & Cornwall Railways. It was likely that it had been leased by Colas due to a shortage of Class 70 engines which have been the mainstay of this working for over a year. This was the first occasion that a Class 56 had been noted on this working since April 2022. July For six days from Monday the 3 rd ASLEF have placed a ban on working overtime for their respective companies, including those employed by Northern. This may result in some reductions to the services, but these are more likely to affect those operating in the early mornings and late evenings. The members have rejected a 4% increase backdated to 2022 plus another 4% for 2023, in exchange for revisions to the current working arrangements. It had always seemed that to relay on people who were willing to work on rest days and above the hours in a shift was not sound practice. Following the aberration of seeing a Class 56 on the VTG tanker train, it was back to ‘normal’ on Monday the 3 rd , when 70:806 was the train loco. But on Wednesday a Class 56 was back in charge of the lighter load of eight bogie tank wagons headed for the north east. On this occasion the engine was 56:096 in Colas Rail’s livery. The early morning Leyland to Doncaster train of GB Rail Freight’s bogie ballast wagons continues to run intermittently with 66:788 on Wednesday the 5 th and 66:725 on Saturday the 8 th . For several years now the Rotarians of Church and Oswaldtwistle have been tending the railway station in the town to keep it presentable and attractive to passengers and visitors to Ossy Mills. They volunteer every Saturday morning from February to the end of October, planting bulbs and flowers and cleaning the platforms and shelters. They are always on the lookout for more hands to join them in this task, financed by Community Rail Lancashire and Northern’s Adopt A Station Fund. Although the VTG tanker train had reverted to Class 70 haulage, the motive power on Friday the 14 th , was Class 66:035 named ‘ Resourceful ’ in DB red livery. On this occasion the load was much lighter than usual at only six bogie tank wagons. Only thirteen years after the construction of Accrington’s ‘eco-friendly’ railway station, news from Northern’s Chief Operating Officer Tricia Williams suggests it is on their list for de-staffing. The explanation for this move is that only one-in-six tickets are now purchased via ticket offices, down from 50% in 2018. They claim that this will be done purely on grounds of “modernisation”. It is also stated that stations will not be left without any presence by a railway employee, but that they will be redeployed on the platforms to assist people to buy their tickets from the automatic ticket vending machines. One of the people determined to oppose this move is former MP Graham Jones, who along with the prospective Labour candidate for Burnley, whose two railway stations are also on the hit list, has contacted the Chair of the Rail Delivery Group Steven Montgomery to protest against this move. The argument being, that whilst many people are conversant with using machines or buying tickets in advance

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