Not Surprising Railways Lost £80m.
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BECAUSE British Railways, when they closed Rossington station, near Doncaster, to passenger traffic, failed to tell the public that excursions were to be run from it this year, Rossie Motors (Rossington), Ltd., were last week granted additional Sunday excursions from Rossington to Scarborough, Bridlington, Cleethorpes and Skegness.
Mr, J. Evans, appearing for the applicants, said the application was made because a notice regarding the closure of Rossington station to passenger traffic bad been posted there and no rail passenger service was now run.
Other grounds were that there was a lack of excursion facilities for a growing town of 10,000 population, and that all the excursion business was being 'scooped up" by private parties organized by operators based outside Rossington.
In evidence for the railways, who objected, Mr. J. Shaw said excursions would be operated from the station this year and would be advertised there a few weeks in advance.
Maj. F. S. Eastwood, chairman of the Yorkshire Traffic Commissioners: "But nobody will go to the station. You have closed it. It seems a funny way of going on."
Mr Shaw then said the excursions would be advertised also in the Press.
Reading from a railway notice, Maj. Eastwood remarked that the wording was such that Rossington people would automatically assume that there would be no passenger service from the station. In the circumstances it was not surprising that the railways were £80m. "in the red."
Mr. J. N. Valiance, for the railways, submitted that the Commissioners should not take into account any ambiguity in the railway notices.
The licence was granted for Sundays only from Easter to September.
Rossie Motors are the , only coach operators based in Rossington village.