airelines CHAIRMAN S REPORT We are still waiting to hear about from Tim Calow the newsletter of AVRUG the Aire Valley Rail Users Group

Transcription

1 airelines Issue 51 Summer 2008 the newsletter of AVRUG the Aire Valley Rail Users Group CHAIRMAN S REPORT We are still waiting to hear about the plans for our railway in the Yorkshire & Humberside Route Utilisation Strategy. Detailed work continues but we haven t been given any firm detail or dates when we will get details! The Lancashire & Cumbria draft RUS has been issued and we, together with our partners in the Leeds-Morecambe Community Rail Partnership, have serious concerns about the plans to turn round services at Lancaster & Skipton. Most passengers make longer journeys and don t want to rely on making connections at Skipton. We will be making a joint response together with our colleagues from the Friends of the Settle-Carlisle line and the Lancaster & Skipton RUG. We need improved services for the from Tim Calow growing numbers of passengers not cutbacks to save money! Engineering work We are not aware of any work planned for the Airedale line. However due to further track renewals at various locations between Settle and Appleby the line will be closed as a through route from Sunday 6 July to Sunday 20 July 2008 inclusive. Services will run normally between Leeds/Bradford and Skipton and usually to/from Settle. There will be bus connections onwards, from Settle generally (Skipton in a couple National Express East Coast, the operator trains from Skipton and Leeds to London Kings Cross, is hoping to radically increase the number of services along the Aire Valley see page XX. Here the company s new livery is on display at Leeds station.

2 of cases). Southbound buses will run through to Skipton to connect with the frequent local service (full details on page 8). No Music Train this summer The proposed Music Train, set for Saturday 7 June, will not now run, but it is hoped to arrange one in the autumn. On the line Aire Valley services have continued to run well. There were some problems on 19 March, firstly with the diesel unit on the morning train to Lancaster which delayed both its return to Leeds and the Ribblehead to Leeds train. Later in the morning an electric train failed at Keighley, causing disruption for several hours. There were more widespread problems on the weekend of 3/4 May when the Leeds to Shipley line was shut for a bridge replacement near Kirkstall. There were issues beforehand with the information for the replacement timetable. We followed these up and most were resolved before the weekend. However, on the Saturday there were delays due to traffic into Leeds and as a result there were insufficient buses at Shipley to take passengers onto Leeds. There were more problems on Sunday night when extra buses had to be provided to take passengers from Leeds at Unfortunately the last train from Shipley was not held for the buses. Some passengers were taken onwards by bus others who thought they were stranded relied on relatives and taxis to get them home. We hope that lessons have been learnt! There are a number of problems still with the passenger information system. Screens at Skipton and Steeton & Silsden have been blank for a number of months (as I write). Lancashire & Cumbria Route Utilisation Strategy The draft document has recently been published and can be found on the Network Rail web site under documents, writes Tim Calow. It is (at 104 pages) even longer than the full web site address. It covers the rural lines of the named counties which include the Skipton Settle Carlisle line, the Skipton to Lancaster line, the Cumbrian Coast route, the East Lancashire lines plus branches to Morecambe/Heysham & Windermere. It sets out plans for the next ten years. In many ways it is a document that fills in the gaps between the West Coast, Scottish and Yorkshire & Humberside strategies. Overcrowding doesn t seem generally to be an issue except for a couple of commuter trains to/from Sellafield. There are proposals to strengthen these and to use the two required units to improve the frequency of off-peak services round the Cumbrian coast (currently there are some big gaps). It also looks at a few possible proposals to improve services in Lancashire though the cost/benefit ratios are rather less favourable. The main local interest is in the proposals for the services through Skipton. Modest enhancements are suggested for Carlisle passenger continued on page 8

3 Rail News more trains to London possible, reports Steve Broadbent Some signifcant changes to the rail services in Yorkshire are in the pipeline they may not happen, as is the way with things railway, but at least plans are being laid! Most exciting for us is the news that National Express East Coast (NXEC), operator of the halfhourly services between Leeds and London Kings Cross, hopes to be able to extend alternate trains from London, that is one an hour over 12 hours, up the Aire valley to Bradford Forster Square or Skipton, as from December How many trains will go to each destination has yet to be decided, not least because the electric Class 91 locos that haul most of the trains to London cannot work between Shipley and Skipton right now because there is insufficient electric current available. Hopefully there wil be some firm news in the next airelines. Elsewhere in Yorkshire, both NXEC and Hull Trains (an operator which so far has only provided services between Hull and London) want to run to Harrogate from Kings Cross, while Grand Central (which operates between London and Sunderland), is looking to run from A class 158 train, in the new Northern rail livery, stands at Skipton station. Tim Calow Bradford Interchange to Kings Cross via Halifax and Pontefract, and London Euston via Halifax and Huddersfield, and also from Huddersfield to Kings Cross. These services, if approved, will start over the next 3-4 years. More trains to the Thames Valley? One other possible move is that Arriva Cross Country, which operates on the Newcastle-Leeds- Birmingham axis, may bring more trains to Leeds from December. Presently, the company operates half-hourly between Newcastle and York and between Sheffield and Birmingham, with alternate trains running via Leeds or Doncaster. Arriva has said that it wishes to run sme of the via Doncaster trains via Leeds from this December. This would firstly give four fast trains an hour between Leeds and Sheffield, but it would also give Leeds a further bonus as the

4 Tim Calow caught this Pacer train in beautiful countryside near Hellifield earlier this year. present Arriva trains run mainly on to Bristol and the south west, while via Doncaster trains run to Reading and some go to Bournemouth and Poole. Making this change would improve direct rail travel opportunities between Leeds and the Thames valley. And on the same corridor, of course there is still the new Northern Rail direct hourly semi-fast service from Leeds to Nottingham via Sheffield, which will start in December. I mentioned some time ago that it was not known whether the new East Midlands franchise might drop its services between Leeds and London St Pancras in the morning and back in the evening, and I am glad to say that a magazine is reporting that two services each way will continue after the timetable change in December: they will not, it seems, travel via Doncaster, thus speeding journey times slightly, and thus a useful link between Leeds and the east and south Midlands is maintained. More locally, it is planned to change the timetable on the Calder Valley line (Leeds-Bradford Interchange-Halifax- Manchester Victoria) from December, making one of the trains to Manchester Victoria semi-fast, calling at the major stations only and giving a Bradford- Manchester time of 59 minutes. And the presently hourly service from Leeds to Hebden Bridge will be extended all stations to Manchester Victoria. In addition, engineering work planned for this October just south of Interchange will see a better track layout and new signalling installed, cutting the journey time so that the new station at Low Moor can be built. Talking of new stations, the new ones on our line at Apperley Bridge and Kirkstall Forge continue to gradually move towards fruition, and those readers who use the line into Leeds will see the works on the Kirkstall Forge site. New trains for the Aire Valley? AVRUG hears that there is much discussion going on as to what trains should serve the Aire Valley in future new ones will be required, both to enable services to call at the new stations and to cope with demand, but it is not clear whether these trains will be new or brand new, or how many, or when, but a decision is not far away. continued on page 6

5 40th ANNIVERSARY STEAM GALA WEEKEND Friday, Saturday and Sunday 27, 28 and 29 June 2008 Roger France Celebrate 40 years of pioneering railway preservation by volunteers : the first complete standard gauge branch line to be reopened by enthusiasts. A unique gala with up to 11 locomotives in steam throughout the weekend and including for the first time ever in preservation steam trains between Oxenhope, Keighley and the main line stations at Skipton and Hellifield. Visiting engines will include King Arthur Class No Sir Lamiel (or Black 5 No.45305), Black 5 No.45212, tank engines Sir Berkeley and Nunlow as well as a further main line engine. Intensive service of steam trains, vintage trains and double headed trains will run between Keighley, Haworth and Oxenhope all day and into the evening all three days. Real ale bars with hot and cold food and drinks available on many trains. 40 beers for 40 years anniversary bar in Oxenhope Exhibition shed open throughout the weekend. Re-enactments of the 1968 reopening special train from Keighley to Oxenhope from 40 years ago: a truly historic moment in the story of Britain s railways. Cream teas served in The Old Gentleman s Saloon as featured in the cinema classic The Railway Children filmed on the line. MAIN LINE STEAM TO SETTLE JCT AND OVER RIBBLEHEAD VIADUCT! Your ALL LINES DAY ROVER on Saturday and Sunday includes main line steam trains between Keighley, Skipton, the historic station of Hellifield and on to Settle Junction and return. The tickets give free travel on Northern Rail trains between Keighley and Hellifield and all KWVR branch services, providing more convenient travel opportunities. On Saturday evening there will be a main line steam special (with real ale bar) from Keighley and Skipton to Blea Moor, crossing the legendary Ribblehead viaduct on the famous Settle Carlisle line. The return train will continue to Haworth and Oxenhope. Truly a unique experience, which everyone with a love of railways will want to savour. Don t miss out advance booking is strongly recommended. THE KEIGHLEY & WORTH VALLEY RAILWAY PRESERVATION SOCIETY The Railway Station, Haworth, Keighley, West Yorkshire BD22 8NJ Website:

6 The problem seems to be that there are so many options to solving the line s problems caused by runaway success, and they all cost a lot of money! Some magazines have reported that our Class 333s are to go to Manchester, while their electric trains are sent to Birmingham, but what we get to replace the 333s, if they go, is not yet in the rumour mill! Exactly what trains we might get centres around what can be done to cope with the rapidly growing demand for rail travel in the Aire and Wharfe Valleys? Longer trains would mean, in some places, longer platforms, which is a costly option. More frequent trains would require, in some places, better signalling, ditto. or even dualling single lines stretches of track, which is even more millions! One solution is to run more trains to Keighley only, allowing trains for Skipton to miss out some smaller stations, thus cutting journey times to Leeds and/or Bradford, but then a new turnback facility, whether a siding or a platform, at Keighley, also costs a great deal of money. There are no easy solutions to the problems of success! Tram trains are in the news, too. These are posh trams, found in many European cities which can, like the Manchester Metrolink, run on both streets and conventional railway track. Tram-trains For a long time it was assumed that the first trial of the latest technology in this area would be seen on the Leeds-Harrogate-York line, but the government surprised most people a few weeks ago when it announced that this evaluation would be on the Huddersfield- Penistone-Sheffield Line, a decision which has been widely been greeted with derision and incredulity, no reports I have read can understand on what grounds this choice has been made. Nevertheless, the West Yorkshire Passenger Transport Executive (WYPTE) is continuing to press for the idea to be adopted in and around Leeds, and a recent report to the Passenger Transport Authority (PTA), says that the Leeds-Harrogate-York line is still favoured, with street running in York and also from Burley Park station into a city centre tram loop. The report also suggests tram trains on a new line from Horsforth via Leeds/Bradford Airport to Guiseley, and from there onwards to Bradford via Shipley. Also seen by Tim Calow near Hellifield, is a Virgin Trains Pendolino, diverted off its usual west coast main line route by engineering works.

7 NEW CAFE for Skipton The café at Skipton station has been considerably extended and is now under the management of the Settle and Carlisle Development Company. Pictured here at the opening on (left to right):- Steve Butcher (our Area Director in Leeds, Northern Rail), Marion Armstrong, John Moorhouse and David Butterworth, all of the SCRDC. Tim Calow Anyone for Coffee? A bright new café has opened at Skipton station. The café is a partnership with the Settle and Carlisle Development Company and Northern Rail and has transformed the old unattractive cafe into a modern and stylish establishment. The café will be open from early in the morning and will provide passengers with high quality refreshments, locally made produce and fair-trade drinks. Pop in for a welcome drink and a smile from the friendly staff next time you are at Skipton.

8 continued from page 2 services (earlier and later through services). However the potential enhancement to hourly (which was floated in the recent Network Rail Business Plan) is dismissed unless there is a reduction in the demand for freight paths. The problem is the slow speed of freight on the long climb to Ais Gill. Thus loaded coal trains are scheduled to take hours from Carlisle to passing Blea Moor (a distance of about 60 miles) whereas a stopping passenger service takes only 80 minutes. There are currently no loops long enough for the coal trains on this stretch, making it very difficult to fit any freight trains between hourly passenger services. The current expenditure on signalling enhancements allows freight trains to run at 15 minute intervals. It would allow similarly frequent passenger services but doesn t increase the capacity so much for a mix of freight and passenger trains. For Morecambe line services three options are suggested. We are not however happy with any of these as they all involve turning Morecambe (or Lancaster) services back at Skipton. Network Rail s preferred option would seem to involve trains roughly every 90 minutes between Skipton and Lancaster with some running through to Morecambe. This suggestion contradicts the findings of the recent consultant s report which suggested that enhancements to the service frequency should not be at the expense of through services to Leeds. The consultants had concluded that through services were essential as that was where most of the customers were travelling! We agree and believe that terminating trains at Skipton is unsatisfactory because:- of the unreliability of connections in this country (trains do not get held to make connections); the likely practical problems of changing trains at Skipton. It is likely that (owing to the track layout) most connections would involve passengers in a long trek under the subway); the extra seats which Morecambe trains provide between Leeds and Skipton. The issue of connections might be eased in the Leeds direction if we were to see an enhanced four trains per hour service to Leeds then any missed connection would leave passengers with a short wait. However it wouldn t help in the Lancaster direction where the next train is likely to be 90 to 120 minutes later a long wait which would be especially annoying for passengers who are only travelling as far as Gargrave, Hellifield or Giggleswick! In short we don t believe that customers will trust the connections and many will feel forced into abandoning the train in favour of car travel (if they have one). We are aiming to make a joint submission about these proposals, together with our colleagues from FoSCL and LASRUG. This is a draft document, and is now open for consultation from interested parties until July 18, after which it will be re-published in final format as policy covering the period The draft Yorkshire RUS, covering our line, is expected in a few months time.

9 Engineering works 15 Day Partial Closure of Settle Carlisle Line for Engineering Work As these plans to close the S+C to through trains in the height of summer will doubtless disrupt the travel plans of many readers, the notice of when and where, received from WYPTE, is repeated here in detail Information like this which affects Aire Valley and surrounding lines are kept up-todate on AVRUG s web site - Editor Due to further track renewals at various locations between Settle and Appleby, the line will be closed as a through route from Sunday 6 July to Sunday 20 July 2008 inclusive. On Sundays Leeds-Carlisle trains will terminate at Settle and restart at Appleby with two connecting buses, an express bus to Carlisle calling only at Kirkby Stephen, Kirkby Stephen town centre and Appleby and a stopping bus to Appleby calling all stations except Dent. Carlisle-Leeds trains will terminate at Appleby and restart from Settle slightly earlier than advertised. Two replacement buses will run from Appleby to Settle/Skipton, as above in reverse. Lancashire DalesRail trains will not operate on the three Sundays of the blockade. On Mondays to Fridays Leeds- Carlisle trains will terminate at Settle and restart from Appleby as above. The 1449 Leeds-Carlisle train will restart later than advertised from Appleby at Again, there will be two connecting buses, and the 1410 and 1925 buses from Settle will be extended to Carlisle. The 0947 Leeds-Carlisle train will be replaced by a connecting express bus between Skipton and Carlisle. Carlisle-Leeds trains will terminate at Appleby and restart from Settle. Two replacement buses will run. An express bus will run at 1503 from Carlisle to Skipton calling only at Appleby, Kirkby Stephen and Settle with passengers going forward from Skipton by the next available train. On Saturdays most Leeds-Carlisle trains will terminate at Settle and restart from Appleby. The 0619, 1249 and 1449 Leeds-Carlisle trains will run later then advertised from Appleby and the 0619 and 1449 trains will also terminate at Hellifield. The buses for those trains will start from Skipton and passengers from stations south of Skipton should use this Skipton as the interchange point. Two connecting buses will run, as above. The 0705, 1530 Skipton and 1210, 1410 and 1915 Settle buses will be extended to Carlisle. The 0947 Leeds-Carlisle train will be replaced by a connecting express bus between Skipton and Carlisle. Carlisle-Leeds trains will terminate at Appleby and restart from Settle. Two replacement buses will run. The 1548 Carlisle-Leeds train will start from Skipton with an express bus leaving Carlisle for Skipton at 1548 with passengers going forward from Skipton by the next available train. Northern will produce a special timetable nearer the time - DO CHECK BEFORE SETTING OUT!!

10 Leeds, Lancaster, Morecambe Community Rail Partnership There were one or two questions about connections which have been raised from AVRUG members; unfortunately the Northern rail representative was unwell and thus unable to attend. I shall field these questions at the next meeting. There was some discussion about proposals seen in the Rail Utilisation Strategy document which had little of note for the line apart from a suggestion of trains terminating at Skipton to improve the level of service! This was not welcomed by the group as many of the journeys originate from before Skipton and would necessitate a further change of trains which is something that the TAS report last year found was unacceptable to the average rail user. It would also mean less journeys between Skipton and Leeds on a line that is already overcrowded at peak times. A suggestion was put forward that Carlisle and Morecambe trains join or split at Skipton to reduce the number of paths required towards Leeds but thus retain the same number of seats. We understand that some operators are reluctant to routinely split/join units at stations although in the south this has been a regular feature for many years. Subsequently somebody suggested that the joining/splitting could be done at Hellifield which is less busy. My own perspective is that changes of train are potential causes of problems: as an example I was returning on the 1638 from Morecambe which necessitates a change at Skipton. We were late and we only just made the connection at Skipton having arrived at platform 2 with the Leeds train on platform 3. There were no announcements or indicators. Fine if Report of the steering group meeting held on 7 May at Lancaster, from Rod Tickner you know the system but less helpful for the occasional rail user. The 0819 Leeds now runs direct to Lancaster, rather than changing at Carnforth, and some people think patronage has increased and it is possible that this is helped by not having to change trains. We understand that the refurbishment of Bentham Station buildings is to commence shortly and there will be an open day on 30 July I took the opportunity after the meeting to go on to Morecambe, taking one of only two trains that serve Heysham port. It was a very pleasant day with a gentle sea breeze and the trains were reasonably well laden. The work on the Midland Hotel is proceeding although the walls now look creamier in colour than I recollect its previous incarnation and. I understand that the original cement included crushed glass which gave a certain iridescence to the walls particularly in sunlight. The windows are, generally speaking, no longer in the classic horizontal Art Deco style although that is difficult, I am told, to make using modern techniques. However it is good to see this landmark Railway Building being brought back into use. It is planned to open on 1 June 2008 although there is not expected to be any big ceremony to mark the occasion. The next meeting of the Community Rail Partnership is scheduled for Tuesday 1 July 2008; this will also incorporate the AGM. The venue is likely to be Carnforth but this remains to be confirmed. Please or write to me if you have any views or questions, the details are on the back page.

11 Lights (Traffic), Camera, Action Our vice chairman, Marten Lougee, reports on his considerable efforts to define where rail replacement bus stops should stop As a result of a meeting with staff from Northern Rail and Network Rail to discuss issues arising from the November 2007 bus substitutions (airelines issue 50 p.9) I floated the idea that it would be an idea if First Coaches (having taken over from Frazer Eagle) could look at the Airedale routes to see where things seemed to go wrong. AVRUG had felt for sometime that some approaches were amateurish, ie drivers not knowing the routes or even where the stations were. The idea came to fruition on a wet Thursday in February when Gareth Mead (Commercial and Project Manager First Bus), Dave Read (Managing Director, Track Access and Camera Operator), Daren Humphreys (Operational Support Manager, Northern), Lee Render (Passenger Information, Metro) and myself met at Skipton railway station. The task took over six hours to complete. The aim was to see which was the best route for bus substitution and most helpful to the travelling public. The idea was to create a DVD so that the various companies under contract, could show their drivers the route before they actually drove it!! So at last we have the definitive guide to rail replacement bus stops in the Aire Valley. Skipton: Railway station. Cononley: Mill car park (by kind permission of Brian Green), light number 19 for queue. Steeton: Turning circle by platform 2 where there is a bus shelter, stop number (NOT the main road). Keighley: Railway station. Crossflatts: (to Leeds and Bradford) by station informations boards by Longwood View. (to Keighley and Skipton) at bus stop where there is a shelter, closer towards Bingley Grammar School. Bingley: Railway station. Saltaire: Caroline Street at coach stop for both directions. Shipley: Railway station. Frizinghall: Car park entrance on Frizinghall Road for both directions. Bradford Forster Square: Main entrance to station by taxi rank. Leeds City Station: New Station Street, stands A and B (not the service bus stops). I hope this information is of use the next important thing is how do we get it over the travelling public so we do not end up, yet again, with people standing on station platforms with their luggage, waiting for trains that are not going to appear? Perhaps making the DVD was the easy bit!

12 From the pages of The Railway Magazine have been trawling through some old I issues of the Railway Magazine again. While many are busy commemorating the passing of routine main line steam 40 years ago I have been looking further back to 1948 when the newly Nationalised British Railways had come into being abolishing the Big Four after just 25 years. Trials were taking place with colour schemes although by todays standards they were much more sedate. I was recently talking with a retired driver who started in the days of steam who informed me that well into the 1960s the old loyalties to the Big Four and even pre-grouping identities were often preserved. There was an interesting review of the old Midland railway which had passed into history in This is because the Aire Valley route was part of the MR main line from London to Scotland. There were regular trains to Heysham Harbour which had opened in 1904 a far cry from today s twice daily shuttle from Lancaster. At one time the MR had tried to develop a hotel at Heysham, much as had been done successfully at nearby Morecambe. However it was not a success. Heysham had a regular service to St Pancras which would have used our line. The MR line diverged from our present route at Wennington to take the Green Ayre route through Lancaster direct. There were regular services to Windermere from London achieved by changing at Carnforth. Some of the trains avoided Leeds, as they came up from Normanton and used the side of the triangle alongside Holbeck shed which these days is normally freight only. The MR Leeds station was Wellington Road next door to Leeds City the present day platform one (known as platform W when brought Rod Tickner looks back in time back into use in the 1990s) is actually on the site of that station I think it was platform 6 but perhaps somebody can advise us better. Before the recent rebuilding of Leeds the typical MR roof was evident on that platform. In the autumn of 1908 the service from Scotland to Bradford included a slip coach or two being detached at Saltaire South for Bradford on the Scotland London expresses. There was also a series of articles on the Scottish Night Mails of the LMSR which cover in great detail the Down Special which is, of course, the subject of the famed GPO film The Night Mail. This looks at all the connections and the complexities of the timing to effect efficient postal deliveries. One has to remember people were able to post a letter in the morning and expect it to be delivered locally by the afternoon! What is intriguing that the pick up and deposit of mail bags while on the move was on the wane even in 1948 as the process was regard as dangerous and not always that efficient. I n t h e N o v e m b e r / D e c e m b e r 1948 issue there was an Eric Treacy photograph of the Flying Scotsman at Marley Junction, Keighley headed by A4 Falcon. This service was diverted via the S & C as a result of floods in the Scottish Borders. Eric Treacy was then Rector of Keighley, it was some time before he became Bishop of Wakefield. It is also a reminder of the numerous sections of the line that were quadrupled in those days to allow for freight movements. There are still two bridges at that spot (adjacent to a large roundabout on the A650) bearing testimony to much more intensive usage. It was still an era of photographs of top link drivers whom all, it seemed had served a long apprenticeship as a cleaner and fireman of about 20 years

13 or more before achieving the exalted status of driver. The Railway Magazine was still be published every two months because there were paper shortages and was priced at 2/- or 10p in new money! 1 then would be worth today based on the retail price index; thus at 10p then it should be about 2.60 today - some things were cheaper then! To me an interesting sidelight is that a bookseller could give his address as Cartmel, Grange-over-Sands, Lancashire. No post codes or lengthy addresses. Also being published was The Story of the Settle-Carlisle Line (Houghton and Foster) at 10/6 (half a guinea or 55p in new money) from an address in Keighley Road, Frizinghall. It was the same one that until recently was used by Frizinghall Models and Railways. I wonder how much one of those 1948 books would be worth today? Savings were considered important and you could hold 500 maximum of Savings certificates which would grow by 30% tax free over ten years. So the ISA concept is not that new! The other advertisements seemed to be mainly concerned with avoiding waste in energy use: not because of cost but because the raw materials were in short supply! It was also the year when some locomotives were converted to oil burning because of coal shortages an experiment that did not last. It seems as if some of our present problems with energy and economy are nothing new! The Chairman s 50th Issue Very Special Quiz: The Answers 1. When was the railway from Shipley to Keighley opened to the public? 16 March On what date (during a flood!) did Apperley Viaduct collapse into the River Aire? 14 November How long did it take to rebuild the viaduct and reopen the railway? 6 weeks reopening on 3 January Not bad! (though I calculate that was 7 weeks) 4. Which stretches of the Leeds to Skipton line have had more than two tracks? Leeds-Shipley, Crossflatts-Marley & Snaygill-Skipton 5. How long is Apperley Tunnel? 1496 yards 6. On what date was the original station at Steeton & Silsden shut? 22 March When was Saltaire station reopened? 9 April In what year was the first platform on the main line curve at Shipley opened? In which year was the Skipton to Colne line closed? 1970 (9 January) 10. And in which year will it re-open??? Howard Blackie answered 2014! 11. When was the reprieve of the Settle-Carlisle line announced? 11 April On what date was the launch run of the first class 333 unit? 23 January 2001 was what I had in mind. I was invited to travel from Leeds to Bradford 13. Which unit operated the launch run? On what date did a pair of Hastings diesel-electric multiple units (class 202 & 203) travel along the Airedale line (on their way from London to Carlisle)? 12 th April I was on it! 15. How far (according to the milepost) is Cononley from St. Pancras station? 218 and ¼ miles The winning entry was from Howard Blackie. Congratulations!

14 Esk Valley Music and Ale Trains Last year whilst on holiday in Whitby, Pam and I spent a very enjoyable Friday evening on a Whitby Middlesborough (and return) music train. The extended service leaving at runs from July to September (only on a Friday evening) and uses well-known musicians. We were lucky to be serenaded by Roger Sutcliffe, who can be heard at the Cock and Bottle Folk Club in Bradford. It was an excellent evening with a good value rail fare, magnificent views, drinkable alcohol and a loving partner. What more could one want? More details are available from or eskvalleyrailway@ btconnect.com Marten Lougee Aire Valley Rail Users Group ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING Minutes of the eighteenth AGM held on Saturday 19 th April 2008 in the Church Hall, Saltaire Methodist Church PRESENT Nineteen members were present. APOLOGIES Apologies were received from John Bearpark, Christopher Butler, Paul Kampen, Andy Rawnsley, Malcolm Riley, and Christopher Young. MINUTES OF MEETING HELD 21 APRIL 2007 The minutes of the last AGM were agreed nem con as a correct record. MATTERS ARISING There were no matters arising. CHAIR S REPORT Tim Calow started by reporting some of the good things about our line. We had a reliable service with the modern class 333 units being extremely reliable as well as the overhead infrastructure which seemed more resistant to the weather than that on the ECML. Carlisle services now had class 158 units which were faster. Further afield there had been a half hourly Leeds-London service since May 2007; the Calder Valley and Harrogate trains had been strengthened and there were modern units on the Transpennine services. There was the gradual introduction of refurbished HSTs on London trains. The Settle-Carlisle line was to have a signalling upgrade. The music trains of last summer had been well patronised. He summed it up as Train is the best way. Some things have been less good however. Kirkstall has twice flooded (June 2007 and January 2008) and there seemed

15 AGM continued no alternatives to disruption on this key stretch of line whenever there is heavy rainfall. When there were train failures it could take a long time to sort out: an example being a rare class 333 failure on 4 January 2008 which took two hours to clear. The engineering blockades in October and November 2007 resulted in incorrect passenger information or even no information at unstaffed stations. The design of temporary timetables was less than satisfactory. The problems still seemed not to be sorted out although he was continuing to progress this. Although promises of better information have been made there were still annoying failures and the long line PA was still prone to errors when late running. Some repairs had been left, revenue protection was worse and there were issues about overcrowding. However, it was noted that a new contract for replacement bus services had been let and all drivers been given full details of stops. Tim referred to the many meetings attended, often behind the scenes by various committee members. He highlighted a meeting the following week with Passenger Focus on engineering work issues. During the year the group s web site has been upgraded and also produced its 50 th magazine, which on a one off basis was in colour. He thanked the committee members for their input. He also thanked the membership for their feedback and reminded them there was still room for further volunteers. Looking ahead there were Leeds- Nottingham trains from December, an improved West Coast time table and a move to a 24 hour railway. However capacity remained a problem. This was marked on Transpennine and Cross Country services and the Airedale line at peak times. The Rail Utilisation Strategies were taking longer to prepare as they were examining all options. Possibilities: 25 new 3 car units; a redoubling of Apperley Junction to Guiseley and a turn back facility at Keighley. But it would cost. The committee would continue to do their best although they have limited time and energy. One important area was getting publicity out and assistance was requested. TREASURER S REPORT Although there was a deficit no contribution had been received from Northern Rail during 2007 although another was expected in Given the balances in the accounts it was felt that the subscription rates should remain unchanged. The report was accepted nem con. ELECTION OF OFFICERS The following were agreed: Chair Vice chair Secretary Treasurer Tim Calow Marten Lougee vacancy Rod Tickner Membership Secretary Keith Renshaw Newsletter Editor Steve Broadbent ELECTION OF COMMITTEE The following were agreed: Peter Bewes Keith Preston Malcolm Riley Jenny Whiteside ANY OTHER BUSINESS There was no substantive other business.

16 , more are just as gratefully welcomed! Letters,?? and!! AVRUG welcomes Letters to the Editor, whether questions about our railways or comments on them, for possible inclusion in airelines. Please address them to the Editor, as below, and we will do our best to fully answer points raised. Letters will be published as space permits, and may be edited. Longer contributions to airelines are also welcome, but please contact the Editor in advance, to ensure space is available and to agree content and deadlines, etc. Subs and s AVRUG does its work in lobbying for better and more reliable services along the Aire Valley thanks to its loyal membership, who pay just 3 a year for the privilege!! Donations or sponsorship to allow us to do even COMMITTEE MEMBERS Chair: Tim Calow, 3 Laurel Close, Shires Lane, Embsay, Skipton BD23 6RS tel: Chair@avrug.org.uk Vice-chair: Marten Lougee, 11 Meadow Close, Cononley, Keighley BD20 8LZ tel: Secretary: VACANT The address for subscriptions is below, for donations please contact the Treasurer. Our web site... is continually being developed, and includes more travel news especially news of local engineering works. Do keep an eye on it!! Next Newsletter......is due to be published in September 2008, and every quarter. Very final copy date is 15 August. Thanks to......northern Rail, for generous sponsorship which makes publication to this standard possible. And to Tim Calow, Marten Lougee and Rod Tickner who have helped with words, and my wife Viv for the design and proof-reading. Treasurer: Rod Tickner, 18 Florist Street, Stockbridge, Keighley BD21 4DY tel: rod@avrug.org.uk Membership Secretary: Keith Renshaw, 3 The Crescent, Baildon Green, Baildon, Shipley BD17 7PE tel: Newsletter Editor: Steve Broadbent, 1 Heather Rise, Burley in Wharfedale, Ilkley, LS29 7RA steve@stevebroadbent.net Publicity: Jennifer Whiteside, 45 Bank Street, Barnoldswick, BB18 6AU tel: jennywhiteside@tiscali.co.uk Keith Preston, 8 Herbert Street, Saltaire, Shipley BD18 4QH tel: Peter Bewes, 135 Burnside Crescent, Skipton, BD23 2BY tel: Malcolm Riley, 12 Hope View, Shipley, BD18 2NG tel: