RAIL-users and commuters have been travelling in grubby carriages because of the region's water shortage and local bus companies have been hit in their attempts to keep vehicles clean.

British Rail's local and regional trains have been missing out on their regular wash after a cleaning ban at depots in Manchester.

But safety is not in jeopardy as the ban does not include cab ends and drivers' windows.

And trains are getting occasional clean-ups when they travel out of the area to regions where there are no drought orders.

A spokesman for British Rail said: "We would prefer the trains to look better and for people to be able to see out of the windows but there is nothing we can do about it."

Nigel Pennington, business manager of the London to North West service, said: "I am sorry that our trains were so dirty in the early part of 1996.

"However, special arrangements have been made and our trains are now much cleaner."

On the buses, Hyndburn Transport managing director Andrew Gill said: "They are not to the standard that we would like but we recognise the need to save water."

Peter Iddon of Blackburn Transport said buses were being cleaned to the minimum standard necessary to keep them safe and legal.

He said: "Things have been made worse because the ban has coincided with the bad weather and all the salt on the roads.

"The outside of the buses aren't as clean as they should be and we apologise for that, but we are working under difficult circumstances."

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