Gem at Mercy of vandals.

By Kate Abram

WITH paint peeling off the walls and broken glass on the floor, Carnforth station has declined over the years to a shadow of its former glory.

The famous clock that once towered over Trevor Howard and Celia Johnson in that classic film Brief Encounter now stands lifeless.

And to add insult to injury vandals have recently broken into the boarded-up buildings and daubed graffiti on the platform walls.

Chairman of Carnforth Station and Railway Trust Peter Yates: "The station has been neglected for more than 30 years and has been unmanned for a long time.

"But we seem to have had more vandalism in the last two months than we've had in the past 20 years."

The trust has a vision for Carnforth station to transform-part of it into a visitor centre, retail outlets and a restaurant -'which will cost an estimated �1.5 million.

The local group has already raised nearly, �30,000 to conduct a feasibility study and submitted a planning application Lancaster City Council .

While currently in negotiations with Railtrack, the trust is also finalising several applications for funding, including one to the National Lottery Heritage Fund.

Mr Yates added: "We now have a project co-ordinator who is working on the various applications but we need to raise the matching funding , ourselves.

Railtrack could be the ones to help us move another step forward."

During the war Carnforth was an important terminus with troops passing through the town regularly.

Now the north and south platforms are closed with just the unmanned east and west platforms remaining open.

Mr Yates added;. "People from all over the. world come to Carnforth to see the station, it is particularly popular with Japanese tourists. '

"And it is ideally situated as a gateway to the Lake District. People could come to Carnforth and catch the train into the Lakes, thereby keeping traffic out at the same time."

The plan has so far been supported by Lancaster City Council, Lancashire County Council and the Rail Heritage Trust which' have pledged a total off �55,000 towards the capital project.-'

Mr Yates added:  "Deputy prime minister John Prescott wants to get people back on the railways and' that is what we are trying 'to do We want to bring Carnforth back to life."

Lancaster Guardian 11^th September 1998

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