Closure plan a threat to 200 jobs

"Rail town is facing destruction"

By STEPHEN THOMPSON

CARNFORTH, the railway town that has suffered in the past because of railway closures and cut-back, is in danger of losing a further 200 jobs.

Railmen were told of the proposed closure of the Train Crews' Depot-scheduled for May, 1974--when they met British Rail's Area Manager, Mr Alan Earl.

Mr Lonsdale Shepherd secretary of the Carnforth branch of the National Union of Railwaymen. said the rail employees had expected some staff reductions but had been "shattered", when told of the proposed closure. which will affect about 220 men from his and other other rail unions, ASLEF and TSSA.

The closure will affect 130 drivers and second-men (formerly firemen), about 70 guards and some clerical staff. It follows the closure in August 1968 of the loco fitting shed and the shut- down in May, 1969, of the wagon repair and freight marshalling yard.

Support

Now Mr Shepherd and his members are to seek the support of local M.P.s, Mrs Elaine Kellett-Bowman and Mr Alfred Hall-Davis, in their attempt to reverse the decision or at least to retain some staff. However, Mr Shepherd fears there may be more redundancies among the permanent way staff following the completion of the Crewe - Glasgow electrification scheme. Some signalmen also face loss of their jobs through automation of signal boxes.

Councillor J. E. Roberts said: "As chairman of Carnforth Council and as an ex- locoman and an ex-welfare officer for British Rail, I am very concerned about the tremendous impact it is going to have on our town"

Council talks

Councillor Roberts said he would be trying to get more details from the Area Manager and would be taking the matter up with the M.P. in an attempt to arrange a meeting with the council.
"We had a terrible blow when they closed the marshalling yards but this has come as a bombshell." he said. He added that it would be discussed at a meeting of the council's General Purposes Committee on Monday.

Mr Shepherd told the "Guardian', that from the Train Crews' Depot, drivers, secondmen and guards were detailed to trains by the clerical staff. There was also a reserve of staff ready to take on any out-of-the-ordinary jobs.
"We were envisaging some reduction in staff but nothing so drastic as this. It means that Carnforth is no longer a railway town. It will be destroyed in this respect,' he said.
"The railwaymen don't know 'where they are going, what they are going to do. They don't have a clue," he said.

Mr Shepherd said the railwaymen's anxiety did not just stem from the announcement building up for a number of years.

In June a letter was sent from the branch to Mrs Kellett-Bowman pointing out the men's growing anxiety because of the rumours of more redundancies. In her reply, she said she had great faith in the future of Carnforth because of its superb communications. She said she believed the area could be successfully developed for tourism, "This would help the passenger side of the railways and prevent any further decline in jobs."

Morale

Mr Shepherd said he had been secretary of the branch over the period of the last two closures and had seen membership of the branch drop from 450 to 250. The last few years had seen a decline in the morale of the staff. The proposed closure would affect the shops in the town. He was also worried about the prospects of jobs for school-leavers.

Mr Earl said that staff had just been given notice of intent and the closure had come about because of the introduction of electric services. "It is not definite that the depot will close but it is felt that we have to do some more rationalisation," he said.

It was obviously a disturbing thought for the staff but he had no further details to give them about it, said Mr Earl.

Extract from Lancaster Guardian 8th December 1972

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