My, how times have changed on railways (From Lancashire Telegraph)

My, how times have changed on railways

10:39am Thursday 18th March 2010 in

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THE train now leaving platform four is the 11.39 to...

Announcements such as this were once made a 100 times a day at Blackburn station as the great steam engines departed for all parts north, south, east and west.

The timetable was obviously a blur of figures, but in the fifties and early sixties there were two rail clerks who knew the train times off by heart — as well as those for other stations up and down the country.

The two with the amazing feats of memory, giving passengers prompt responses to their inquiries, were Margaret Clint, of Whalley and Phyllis Hawcroft of Blackburn.

Despite the numerous services arriving and leaving the busy Blackburn platforms, they could give immediate answers to inquiries, plus the times of any connections, as far away as Crewe, Darlington or Leeds.

On top of that they knew the times of most of the main line trains at large stations all over the country, including Leicester, Preston and Manchester as well, without needing to refer to the book.

“I reckon I’ve got two of the best girls in the north west,” said Blackburn's passenger agent in 1962, Archie Buchanan. “They’ve got fantastic memories.”

There was no secret formula, as Miss Clint revealed: “You refer to times on a few occasions and then they just seem to stick.

“Of course, accuracy, rather than speed, is the greatest thing, as well as courtesy to each passenger.”

Throughout the day calls to the clerks averaged one a minute, but at rush hour there were far more and Miss Clint, who had then worked in the rail office for 12 years, knew to remain calm and talk to each passenger as though they were the only ones with an inquiry.

That way she could reply with ease: “Yes, there’s one at 1.03pm, change at Todd Lane and arrive in Liverpool at 2.19pm – the next one is 2.22pm, which is due in at Liverpool at 3.49pm!”