One Train a Year to Yarmouth
Page 65
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"IT would be easier to walk," com l. mented Maj. F. S. Eastwood. chairman of the Yorkshire Traffic Commissioners, when they were told by a British Railways witness at Leeds, last week. that a train from Todmorden to Great Yarmouth on Friday nights involved changing at Leeds and waiting for ,2 hours 12 minutes at Peterborough.
They granted an application by Walton and Helliwell, Ltd., Mytholmroyd, near Halifax, to set back to Todmorden their holiday express service from Hebden Bridge to Great Yarmouth, and to pick , up passengers at Brighouse and Elland, Mr. J. Evans, for the applicants, said that last year 196 people were carried from the Burnley and Todmorden areas, mainly in the local holiday weeks. Starting at Todmorden would be a great convenience for such passengers. There was only one through train a year front Todmorden to Great Yarmouth, and that was on the first Friday night of the holiday week. The rail fare was £3 1 Is., and the road fare £2 7s. 6d.
Passengers from Brighouse and Elland, who numbered 301 in 1956, had to travel into Halifax and were carried back over the same ground en route to Yarmouth. Requests had been received to pick up at these points.
Mr. T. B. Atkinson submitted for the railways that there was a danger of a dual grant. W. Robinson and Sons (Great Harwood). Ltd., had applied to the North Western Traffic Commissioners in February for extra vehicles to serve the Burnley area (The Commercial 1..lotor, February 15). Walton and Helliwell were mentioned during the hearing and it 'was suggested that Robinson's customers were travelling to Hebden Bridge and using the applicant's service because Robinson's vehicles were full.
Common Directors
A peculiar feature was that although the companies had common directors. both said they were unaware of the other's application. All the letters produced by Walton and HelIiwell in sup port of their application were from the Burnley area and, in effect, they were asking to set back their starting point to carry traffic from the north-west.
Mr. Evans said the railways had misconceived the position. The question of a dual grant would be a sound submission only if the applicants were asking for additional vehicles. They were asking to carry from Todmorden, which was in the Yorkshire area, and it did not matter what reason brought the passengers from Burnley.
• The Commissioners restricted Todmorden as a starting point to the five weeks covering the local holidays. 133 I