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IMPROVED ROA RANSPORT Vital

umberland's Development IJAST year, in an article in "The Commercial Motor," I referred to the efforts being made in West Cumberland to put the district on its feet industrially. Not having been there since 1939, 1 thought it would be as well to collect some first-hand information, so I visited the district a few weeks ago. This was the first time I had travelled to West Cumberland by train and I hope it will be the last.

From Birmingham I had to change at Crewe and join a through train from London. As the journey time from Euston to Workington is about 11 hours, I naturally assumed that some provision for meals would be made, but while waiting at Crewe I discovered that not one of the through trains from London to West Cumberland includes a restaurant car. " Diners " are run on the Edinburgh-Glasgow journey lasting one hour, yet no such provision is made for a trip of up to 327 miles.

If the answer be that the Edinburgh-Glasgow trains cater for business people, my reply is to ask whether it is not equally important to encourage personal contacts which will benefit West Cumberland?' At the present time the journey is enough to deter anyone from doing business in the area if he can avoid it. If the answer be that to add to the weight of the trains would need more powerful engines which cannot be accommodated on the present tracks, it underlines the inadequacy of the present system.

But I have told only half the story of my journey. My train left, Carnforth punctually at 2.5 p.m., but it was 11 minutes late in reaching Workington (81 miles away), where it was due at 6.11 p.m. In other words,

minutes. Many of the overbridges give insufficient clearance for large modern locomotives, and there are several sharp curves which preclude their use. It is significant that the passenger stock operated on tin: Maryport and Carlisle line has the windows barred and specially large notices in the compartments warning people not to put their heads out.

The census of 1921 disclosed a population of 263,151 for the whole county of Cumberland, about 66 pei cent. being in what is now the Development Area ol West Cumberland. In 1932, 48 per cent. of the workpeople in West Cumberland were unemployed and many more were working only part time, because of the slum in the basic industries of coal and steel, and the cornplete dependence of the area on them until then. Jr 1937 the percentage of unemployed had dropped to 28 but there had also been an overall decline in the population. In 1948, only 3 per cent, were unemployed.

Surplus Population Absorbed What is equally important is that, whilst in the interwar years about 50 per cent, of the population wen employed in the basic trades, that percentage has nom dropped to 21 and the balance of the labour force i! spread over a much greater range of commodities. Thc efforts made to absorb the surplus population by pro viding work in the district seem, therefore, to hays been successful.

A start was made before the war by the Cumberlanc Development Council, through its energetic secretary Mr. J. J. (now Lord) Adams, to try to attract lighte and more diversified types of industry, but the Counci was continually finding itself up against the transpor problem. During the wer there was a big increase ii employment in the area, but it was caused almos entirely by the Royal Ordnance Factories at Bootle Drigg and Sellafield, and the High Duty Alloys factor! at Distington.

• Here it ought to be mentioned, perhaps, that official circles are still inclined to overlook transport matters.

In the factory at Kells, leased to a concern of chemical manufacturers, for instance, both loading points face the sea, although the factory is built almost on the cliff edge in a district where there is nearly always a strong westerly wind. The consequence is that it is often impossible to load the company's products (many of which are in cartons) without their becoming damp, and to sheet down a lorry is a herculean task.

Apart from this mild criticism, it must be said that the Development Company has done well in spreading a variety of industries throughout the area, thus enabling surplus labour to be absorbed without creating travel difficulties for the workers.

When Road Transport is Preferable

In my article on industrial conditions in South Wales t" The Commercial Motor," May, 20), 1 postulated the following circumstances as determining the suitability of traffic for road transit, in preference to rail:—(1) Where a'complete load can be sent by road with little or no packing, as compared with what is required by ail; (2) where goods, whether packed or unpacked, easily suffer from shunting; (3) where goods require speedy delivery on cross-country routes over which there is no fast or direct rail service; (4) where traffic goes in small quantities direct to retailers within a relatively small radius; (5) where cargoes for export are sent from factories not directly connected to rail.

It will be seen that most of the new traffic now emanating from West Cumberland is suitable for road haulage and it was, therefore, with some surprise that, in calling on a manufacturer of boots and shoes at Cockermouth, I was .told that the company found rail preferable to road. I was surprised because for the past 15 years, the bulk of the Leicester and Northants footwear has been carried by road. land Roadways, Ltd., and thus secured a base at Distington, between Workington and Whitehaven. This undertaking is an amalgamation of the businesses of Mr. J. Downes, of Egremont, Messrs..). Cunningham and Son, of Workington, and Cunningham's Transport, Ltd., a clearing house. Cumberland Roadways, Ltd., now owns 14 vehicles ranging from 6-tonners to 15-tonners, and regularly employs 25 sub-contractors, including three from Blackburn.

The company deals mainly with bulk loads, although twice a week it organizes a delivery of carpets and cloth to places in Lancashire and Yorkshire for two concerns on the Salterbach estate: It does not profess to give an organized general smalls service either in the county or outside. Generally speaking, the manufacturers handle their own split deliveries inside the area and make the best arrangements they can for other parts. One result of this absence of smalls services is an unnecessary multiplication of. C-licence vehicles.

Before developing this theme, it would be advisable to study the road-passenger services and the layout of the road system. I do not think it necessary to say much about the port facilities. Workington, Whitehaven and Maryport are practically confined to coal shipments outwards and ores inwards, whilst at Silloth, cattle constitute the only coasting traffic. It seems unlikely that a sufficient volume of general cargo for export will be available in such 'quantities as to justify the starting of new services.

Earlier on it was said that the siting of the new factories had not involved the workers in exceptionally long journeys. Officers of Cumberland Motor Services, Ltd., whom I consulted, thought that 15 miles would probably be the maximum, and this would not apply to a great number of workers. From Frizington to Workington is about 15 miles and weekly tickets at 8s. 6d. for this journey are regularly issued. A good many people come to the atomic-energy plant at Sellafield from distances up to 12 miles, and for them a fare of 8s. per week has been introduced.

C.M.S: Services for Workers Cumberland Motor Services, Ltd., has to provide workers' buses for the factories at all the places already mentioned and to coal mines at Risehow, Gillhead, Allerdale, Solway, Whitehaven, Lowca .and Walkmill; iron-ore mines at Haile Moor, Florence, Ul!coats and Winscales; the United Steel company's works at Moss Bay, Workington, and R.A.F maintenance units at Kirkbride and Silloth. These special buses carry about 11,200 people daily and, in addition, a large number uses the stage services. Eight grammar schools scattered about the company's territory have to be catered for, as well as country primary schools. Market-day services are provided to Cockermouth (Mondays), Wigton (Tuesdays), Carlisle (Wednesdays and Saturdays) and Whitehaven (Thursdays).

The company owes its origin to the enterprise of Messrs. H. and T. Meageen (the latter still chairman and managing director) who, in 1912; started White, haven Motor Services with two buses. The company ,grew and in 1921 the present title was adopted. To-day the fleet numbers 255 vehicles (14 full-height double: deckers, 134 low-height double-deckers and 107 singledeckers), distributed among garages at Carlisle (6), Wigton (29), Maryport (23), Workington (58), Whitehaven (110), Millom (9), Cleator Moor (8), Frizington (5) and Keswick (7). There are 814 employees (including only four conductresses). The annual mileage is about 7,160,000 and some 23,000,000 passengers are carried each year.

Pooled Operation with Ribble

The Keswick-Penrith stage service is pooled with Ribble Motor Services, Ltd., as also are all excursions and tours from Carlisle to the Lake District. The Keswick-Borrowdale-Seatoller service is worked on a rota with Messrs. W. L. Askew, Messrs. R. W. Simpson, Messrs. T. Young and Sons and Weightman (Keswick), Ltd Apart from certain special services for colliers, the only other stage service in the central and southern part of the county is that of Mr. W. Sim, of Boot, with one bus which works from Eskdale to Whitehaven on Tuesdays and Saturdays and to Seascale on other days.

In the north, about 20 vehicles are operated by Messrs. Blair and Palmer, of Carlisle (associated with Messrs. E. Harkness, of Penrith). There are also some small concerns aggregating about a dozen vehicles on private hire and excursions and tours. During the past few years Cumberland Motor Services, Ltd., has absorbed 17 other operators.

Although many of the vehicles in the C.M.S. fleet are double-deckers, there is a high proportion of singledeckers, because of the prevalence of exceptionally low bridges and the winding and narrow roads. It is unlikely that any 8-ft.-wide buses will be introduced, because of the difficult conditions. The company would like to work all colliery services with double-deckers, but this is not possible on account of the bridges. There are also the gradients (some as steep as 1 in 5 and many of in 7) to be considered.

c6 Fares are still at the 1930 level; ordinary returns are issued and 12-journey tickets (available for six return journeys in any seven consecutive days) and 10-journey tickets (for five return journeys from Monday to Friday), but there are no seasons. The 10-journey and 12-journey tickets are based on 0.66d. per mile. Schoolchildren are granted weekly tickets at half that figure.

As to the roads themselves, ignoring the PrestonCarlisle road, which is outside the Cumberland Development Area, the principal highway is that from Carlisle to Egremont, via Wigton, Aspatria, Maryport, Workington, Whitehaven and Hensingham. The county surveyor has made the following analysis of this road, which is 48 miles long:—

The, approved standard width of this road is 80 ft. between fences, this width to accommodate one 30-ft carriageway, two cycle tracks (each 9 ft. wide) and two footpaths (each 5 ft. wide). To bring such an improvement about would necessitate the wholesale demolition of property in the towns and, consequently, in 1938, the county proposed to the Ministry of Transport that an entirely new road 20 miles long from Egremont to Crosby (north-east of Maryport) should be constructed to bypass Whitehaven, Workington and Maryport. Even so, widening the rural portion north-east of Crosby would still involve a tremendous amount of work and, if il were eventually finished, there would still be the great number of crossings and private entrances for traffic to contend with.

Before the war the Ministry of Transport and the county had under consideration (apart from the proposed new road) some 56 diversions and widenings ol existing roads which would have cost at prevailing price' about £3,141,000. The mileage improved would havi aggregated only 27 and nothing radical would have beer done to deal with the problem.

Plan for 46-mile Motorway With these points in mind, the county surveyor (Mr G. 0. Lockwood, M.Inst.C.E.) produced, in 1943, a plai for a regional motorway, 46 miles long, which might bi constructed in four to five years at a cost, at pre-wa values, of about £2,750,000. This road, which .wouli be restricted exclusively to motors, would have only 1 connections and all other roads would be passed ove or under. It would start at Blackbeck, south of Egre mont, pass between Egremont and Cleator, then east o Hensingham, Distington and Great Clifton and north west of Great Broughton; it would then take the rout of the disused railway to Linefoot and Bullgill; them it would lie alongside the railway to Dalton, where would branch away to join the London-Glasgow roa near Brisco.

An interesting and novel feature of this proposal that of putting the road directly alongside the almo. straight length of railway from Bullgill to Dalton. Tt advantages of this would be, first, that severance agricultural land would be avoided and, secondly, th; easy connection could be made with the railway t half clover-leaf junctions at points where transhipment between road and rail would be advantageous.

it will be seen that this motorway would form a backbone to the West Cumberland Development Area, but it would not in itself be sufficient, as improved access must be given to the south. The 50 miles from Egremont to Levens Bridge, on the London-Glasgow road, is almost as tortuous as the railway line I have described. Cumberland is anxious to co-operate with the county councils of Westmorland and Lancashire and with the Ministry of TranspOrt, so as to get this road widened.

It is proposed to bring the Class II road from Whicham to Hallthwaites up to the 60-ft./30-ft. standard, thus cutting out the detour via Millom. A new length from Hallthwaites to Bankend will parallel the railway across the north end of Duddon Sands. The existing road will be followed to Levens Bridge. These diversions will reduce the distance from Wh ich a m to Levens Bridge by seven miles.

A third proposal, which is not likely to materialize for many years, is to use the abandoned railway from Aspatria across the Solway to give more direct access to Dumfriesshire and south-west Scotland.

Nothing has been said about the obvious route for motor traffic from the Workington district to the south, viz., via Cockermouth to Keswick, then either to Penrith or straight down through Amble side to Kendal. The latter is the way one would naturally go by car, and many heavy lorries use it, but it is twisty, with sharp gradients and a nasty bottleneck at A mbl eside.

I understand that the decision to make the Lake District a national park is likely to cause the authorities to frown on heavy goods traffic passing by this route and certainly nothing will be done to encourage it, This being so, the other schemes become even more important and should be pressed on with as quickly as possible.

Communications Can he Improved

It is not, in my opinion, true to say that no improvement in Cumbrian communications can be made until these road schemes come to fruition. I will assume that there is not much that can be done about the railways, although two points do suggest themselves to me in regard to the passenger service. The station stops seemed to me in every case amazingly long—up to 10 minutes at some tiny stations, although there is no question of waiting on passing loops on the coast route--and this impression was confirmed by regular travellers to whom I talked.

There definitely seems to be room for improvement, and if the scheme I shall mention in a moment were adopted, it would be possible for the railways in this area to cease handling parcel traffic (except newspapers), thus enabling station time to be saved. Then, on the through coaches from London, could not the experiment be tried of converting one compartment into a small snack bar where one could buy sandwiches and cakes?

I look, however, for the main improvements to come, both for passengers and goods, from the road services. To take passengers first, it seems to me that

two limited-stop services are called for: (1) CarlisleAspatria (first stop)-Maryport-Workington-Whitehaven; (2) Penrith-Keswick-Cockermouth-Workington-White

haven. These would give connections with the mainline trains between England and Scotland and to the north-east coast and to Yorkshire.

Railways Should Go for Heavy Traffic

On the goods side, I think that the railways in the Development Area (except, possibly, at Millom) should concentrate entirety on the heavy traffic for which they were designed and should cease to handle less than wagon-loads, also, all smalls, whether by goods or passenger train. In any case, if West Cumberland is to be given the facilities it so badly needs, the Road Transport Executive will have to organize a proper smalls service (or assist someone to do so), so as to cover all the coastal area.

A depot at Carlisle is essential. This, in addition to being a starting point for services in to West Cumbzr

land, would allow for interchange of traffic to and from Glasgow, Edinburgh, Newcastle, Leeds, Manchester and the South, as well as providing a useful check point (which is now missing) for lorries on bulk traffic between England and Scotland. As has been said, ("timberland Transport, Ltd., has no organization or premises for dealing with smalls, but if the land where its office is situated could be built on, it would be a good site for a depot.

From here, collection and delivery services could be given north to Maryport, east to Cockermouth, and south to Sellaileld (or to Drigg, if that fEctory be opened up). Wigton, Aspatria and Silloth could be served by collection and delivery vehicles direct from Carlisle.

The development at Millom presents a difficulty There is an old-established smalls service from Preston to Barrow which, presumably, will in due course, be taken over by the R.T.E., but to add Millom to this already long journey would, I think, make difficulties. If the Bootle R.O.F. re-opens there might be sufficient traffic from there, together with that from Millom, to justify a direct service, in addition to that to Barrow. This would be possible when the road improvements mentioned above take place. Until then, Millom will have to depend, I think, on rail, but it is the only place in the Development Area which should.