MR. STIRK CRITICIZES RAILWAY FACILITIES
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THE London and North-Eastern rail1 way company was criticized by Mr. J. H. Stirk, when he presided over an East Midlands passenger traffic court, in Nottingham, last week. He told the company that its passenger services, from Worksop to Blackpool were more of a deterrent to the public than an attraction.
The question arose during a successful application by Mr. R. Mokes, of Worksop, for permission to run bus excursions from Worksop to Blackpool, on Whit-Saturday and the four Saturdays in June. The L.N.E.R. objected to the application.
For the applicant, it was pointed out that his buses already ran to Blackpool in July and August. There was a real demand for buses in Jane, largely because of the introduction of holidays with pay in the Worksop colliery dis trict. The great advantage of the buses was that they went straight through to Blackpool.
The L.N.E.R. worked in conjunction with the L.M.S., and passengers had to change from one railway to the other at either Sheffield or Manchester stops.
Addressing the L.N.E.R. company's representative, Mr. Stirk remarked: " Don't you think this business of crossing Manchester is rather a deterrent to people? From my experience, it is necessary for any family to get a taxi if it needs to cross the city."
For the railway company, it was said that traffic between Worksop and Blackpool, during June, did not justify a through service, but Mr. Stirk suggested that the reason for the poor traffic was that there was no through service.
The applicant said he had received many complaints of the inconvenience and unpunctuality of the railway services last year. The trains to Blackpool did not offer speedier service than his buses.
Mr. Stirk asked : "Are the railways trying to meet the demand for increased travel facilities now that holidays with pay are becoming an actual fact?
The reply was that the railways would do their best to offer increased facilities where the demand justified it