Accrington Railways - Robert Kenyon

Although it is booked to run as ‘only when required’ the VTG tanker train is now operating less frequently than has previously been the case. However, on Wednesday the 1 st , it was being hauled by Colas Rail’s 70:815. Details of the Rail Support Services that operated on Sundays, October the 29 th and November the 5 th were, services between Colne and Blackpool South were operating, despite one cancellation, as normal. Trains from Blackpool North were terminating at Rose Grove before returning, having had passengers transferred to coaches for onward journeys to Halifax, before returning to trains for Bradford, Leeds and York. Local campaigners have been heartened by the commitment of Huw Merriman to meet local MPs to discuss the reopening of the section of lines between Colne and Skipton. He made this in a statement to Parliament on October 26 th last. With four of the townships along the East Lancs Line rated are rated as within the top ten of deprived boroughs in the country, it is claimed they will be the ones to benefit from this move, if SELRAP gets its way. This would also include the establishment of a new station along the route at Earby, whilst on the eastern side Bradford is due to have a new station. This has been welcomed by the group’s Chairman Peter Bryson, who is encouraged to believe that some of the money now not to be spent on the northern leg of HS2, will be earmarked for the relaying of the 11½ mile line to create another east/west connection across the Pennines. On Friday the 10 th 57:601 with 57:313 came through town on an empty stock working from Steamtown in Carnforth to York North Road Sidings. The following day this would form the train from Hull to Edinburgh, where there would be a five hour stay in order for passengers to visit the Cities Christmas Markets. Prices were £440 per person inclusive of all meals, a including a six-course dinner. However, there was also a supplement of £90 for a table for two and also extra for a champagne breakfast welcome. Both Castle-named locomotives are regulars on West Coast Railways’ specials, and were in the dual livery of maroon and cream. The students of Hollins in partnership with artist Karen Allerton, have designed a new artwork called ‘Steam To Green’ detailing the history of railways in the town. It is for display in the booking hall of the station and has attracted praise from Mike Cliffe the Chair of the East Lancashire with Clitheroe Community Rail Partnership. Craig Harrop, Northern’s Regional Director, who supported this project through Northern’s Seedcorn Fund. On October the 5 th , a new station was opened in Kirby called Headbolt Lane. Now it is possible for passengers travelling on Northern’s Blackburn via Accrington, Burnley, Todmorden, and Rochdale to Manchester and Wigan Wallgate, to connect end-on with the latest Merseyrail Class 777 battery electric EMUs, and access Liverpool at Central Station. This service will initially run on an hourly frequency, but will go to every 15 minutes at some point in the future. Over the weekend of the 18 th and 19 th more engineering work on the railways in and around the Blackburn area, saw more rail replacements in operation through Accrington. On Saturday there were two people in charge of directing passengers to their trains, one female and one male. On the Sunday the man was undertaking this task alone. Over the weekend of the 25 th and 26 th Rail Replacements were again operating. On Saturday there were two people supervising the exchange of passengers, but on Sunday no-one was present to assist. The wording on the back of one of the hi-vis jackets suggested that Arriva was the company providing these services. On Saturday the vehicles noted were, - December On Friday the first day of the month, West Coast Trains was operating through Accrington on an empty stock working between Steamtown Carnforth and Wakefield Westgate. The stock was to be used on a special from York to the North East the following day, calling at Durham, Darlington and Newcastle upon-Tyne. It would return via Sunderland Middlesbrough, Thirsk and Ripon. On the journey a ‘sumptuous’ Christmas dinner would be served with all the trimmings and the extras you might expect from a day out costing not far short of £400 per person. The locomotives on this occasion were to two castle-named 57s numbers 601 with 313. It was however some 100 minutes behind its booked time on this part of the outward journey from Carnforth. On Saturday the 2 nd , it was quite surprising to witness Rail Replacement Services operating to replace trains, as this was the first day of a new round of industrial action by members of ASLEF. This could possibly have been because the driver’s Union had only called the withdrawal of labour at

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