Accrington on Rails - The Tramways: A Complete History - Robert Kenyon

For journeys beyond Haslingden Commercial passengers were required to re-book. Beyond the Lockgate boundary between Haslingden and Rawtenstall, only Rawtenstall Corporation tickets were valid, so a through passenger between Accrington and Rawtenstall would be required to book twice. --------------------- Footnote It is quite apparent that unlike in very many other towns and cities all across the globe, we in this country, (with the exception of Blackpool of course), tore up our tramways with too great a haste. As we have seen in many of our larger conurbations trams have made a comeback. Where they have, there has been an expansion of the networks, proof positive that they are the transport for the future on many counts, not the least of which is environmental pollution. They can move large numbers of people and can travel with relative safety in a mixed traffic/pedestrian environment. I cannot predict the future, but it is possible that in time to come even urban environments such as the ones here in North East Lancashire which trams served so admirably in the past, may again see them connecting the towns and their districts as they did before. The tram-train, a vehicle designed to run on both heavy and light rail systems is already proving successful and being trialled as I write. The story therefore, may not end here.

366 A Dark Day on the trams – by Ellison Street On February 14 th , 1930, the Motorman of an Accrington tram, David Murdock, was fatally injured when his vehicle was hit head-on by an express bus of the Ribble Motor Services Company at Acre. The Accrington Observer & Times of February 15 th , 1930 contained the following report - An Accrington Corporation tramcar was in head-on collision with a bus from Ribble Motor Stheervmicoersn, iinngthoifckthfeog14between Stonefold Church and the Great Tree public house at Acre at 10:25 on th . The tram was returning from Haslingden to town with two passengers on bthoearsdinwglheitlrsat mthterabcuks,ooccpuepraietsintghethceen0t9r:e2o5f stehrevhicigehtwo aMy.anchester was carrying seven. At this point The bus driver, Walter Hope of Russell Street in Clitheroe, stated that he had not encountered faogga iunnbt iyl Bt haex eg na tdeesnoMf Oi sas ki oHn .i lHl Po awrekvoe nr, tMh ae nn chhee sr taenr iRnot oa da, vwe hr yi c dh ewn as es pt haitnc ha na dn dp ahtacdh ys l ao nwde dh addo wc l enatroe da crawling pace when the collision occurred. The conductor of the tram, Albert Riding of Jubilee Street in Oswaldtwistle, said the visibility amt pthh.e Ht ei mwe aws at hs rloe ws snt ht oa nt hf ei v ef l oyoarr dbsy, at hn ed iems tpi ma cat ,t eadn dt hde essppei teed roe fc et hi vei ntgr acmu t as t t on oh ims ohraen tdh aa nn d4 hoera 5d wt her no tu gt oh tthhee assaslios ot ann ct oe oo fp eMnr st hGer idf foi tohrs oanntdo ht ehre df raoung th toefr. t Hh ea vcianrg, ws eheenr et hhe em f os aufnedl y tohfef hder i tvheer,n Dwa ev ni dt Murdock of Steiner Street in Accrington, slumped over the front of the crushed platform having