RAIL campaigners in East Lancashire have called for an end to the bumpy ride passengers have to put up with between Burnley and Colne.

Members of the Save the East Lancashire Line (STELLA) group want Railtrack to act to improve rail lines and end the rocking up and down of certain kinds of train on the branch line which runs through Brierfield and Nelson to Colne.

Most other lines in the area, including the track between Blackburn and Burnley Manchester Road have been modernised to give train passengers a smooth ride.

But large sections of track between Burnley and Colne have never been modernised and the so-called "Pacer" units that run over them bounce up and down.

Derick Harrison of STELLA said: "It really is about time something was done about this.

"There are sections of track, between Burnley and the Reedley area and then between just south of Colne and Walton Lane where work has been done and things are much better. "But the rest of the journey is up and down and it is difficult for people to keep their balance when they get up from their seat to go to the doors and get off the train.

"It isn't just the track. I remember around ten years ago when they brought out the Pacer units and members of STELLA had a ride on them.

"We said then that they weren't as smooth a ride as the old trains which had been in service for 30 years. And things still haven't improved between Burnley and Colne."

Railtrack spokesman said the company had recently spent three and a half million pounds on fitting continuously welded track between Gannow Junction and Holroyd Junction to provide a smoother ride.

He said more work was under consideration for the East Lancashire rail lines in 2001 and 2002, although no specific parts of the network have yet been earmarked for upgrading.

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