BATTLING BEECHING IN THE HIGH PEAK PART TWO THE CAMPAIGN TO RETAIL BUXTON’S RAIL SERVICE

The TUCC hearing

The Transport Users Consultative Committee’s hearing into the proposed withdrawal of passenger train services between Manchester and Buxton took place on Wednesday 27th and Thursday 28th May 1964 at the Pavilion Gardens, Buxton, starting at 10.30am. The main hall used was crowded. The Buxton Advertiser & Herald gave a report on the initial proceedings in its edition on Friday 29th May, following-up with a full-page report a week later.

The meeting was chaired by Sir Patrick Hamilton, the Chairman of the TUCC, sitting with sixteen members, none of whom was local. Their report to the Minister of Transport would not be made until after a further meeting in Manchester on 21st July. This had been arranged to allow objectors to withdrawal of the Manchester-Chinley-Derby service more time to develop their objections following receipt of the ‘Heads of Information’ from the British Railways Board and because the two days in Buxton might be insufficient to hear all representations about both lines. It would also allow those living in the Manchester area to comment on the Manchester-Buxton case. British Railways was represented at the inquiry by Mr. C. P. Millard, Divisional Manager, Manchester.

In his opening remarks Edgar Fay, QC, (representing the objectors) claimed this to be the most important inquiry yet heard by any TUCC, that the line was not any little-used country branch line but one which entered the lives of the communities which it served, and served well; if it closed no suburban line in the country was safe and its closure would ask people to take a step back into the nineteenth century. He said that between 7.56 and 8.45am 1,814 passengers arrived in Manchester from the affected stations, and there were nearly 8,000 passenger journeys¹ per day according to figures from local authorities, which British Railways accepted. Mr. Fay expected to be calling 154 persons. Regarding the Miller’s Dale line, according to BRB figures annual takings were only £5,500, yet 4,000 tickets per year were issued from Buxton Midland to London, which even at a second class single fare of £2 would be £8,000, and there would be other tickets sold for Matlock and Derby.

Mr. Fay referred to the document prepared by local authority surveyors and engineers, containing maps, charts and tables as well as 23 pages of evidence. The conclusions were that the line should not close owing to extreme weather conditions on exposed sections of the route, and the additional