East Lancashire Railway
60103 Flying Scotsman at Blackburn Road bridge, Ewood Bridge, heading towards Rawtenstall
LocaleNorth west England
TerminusRawtenstall and
Heywood
ConnectionsNetwork Rail (east of Heywood,via Castleton)
Manchester Metrolink (south of Bury)
Commercial operations
NameEast Lancashire Railway
Built byEast Lancashire Railway (1844–1859)
Original gauge4 ft 8+12 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge
Preserved operations
Operated byEast Lancashire Light Railway Company (ELLR Co.)
Stations7
Length12 miles 45 chains (20.2 km)
Preserved gauge4 ft 8+12 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge
Commercial history
Opened1846
Closed17 March 1980
Preservation history
31 March 1986Granted Light Railway Order (for public service)
25 July 1987Re-opens and public service begins
27 April 1991Extension to Rawtenstall
6 September 2003Extension to Heywood
13 October 2016New halt opened at Burrs Country Park
HeadquartersBury Bolton Street
Route map

(Click to expand)

East Lancashire Railway is a 12.5-mile (20 km) heritage railway line in North West England which runs between Heywood, Greater Manchester and Rawtenstall in Lancashire. There are intermediate stations at Bury Bolton Street, Burrs Country Park, Summerseat and Ramsbottom, with the line crossing the border into Rossendale serving Irwell Vale and Rawtenstall. Before closure, the line terminated at Bacup.

The heritage line is now just over 12 miles (19 km) long and has a mainline connection with the national railway network at Castleton, just beyond Heywood. The ELR is planning to extend the running line to Castleton in the future.

Overview

Passenger services between Bury and Rawtenstall were withdrawn by British Rail on 3 June 1972. Coal services to Rawtenstall ended in 1980 and formal closure of the line followed in 1982.[1] The East Lancashire Railway Trust reopened the line on 25 July 1987.[2] The initial service operated between Bury and Ramsbottom, via Summerseat. In 1991, the service was extended northwards from Ramsbottom to reach Rawtenstall, via Irwell Vale.[3] However, two original stations on the line, closed to passengers by BR in 1972, have not reopened, Ewood Bridge & Edenfield and Stubbins. The latter was the junction of the lines to Accrington and Rossendale although there were no platforms serving these lines.

Rawtenstall is the practical northern limit of the line, as the formation on towards Bacup has been lost immediately north of the station.

Freight train passing over the "Ski Jump" bridge

In September 2003, an eastbound extension from Bury to Heywood was re-opened. To reach Heywood, the extension had to cross over the Manchester Metrolink line to Bury, at the site of the former Bury Knowsley Street station. This necessitated the construction of a new intersection bridge, with steeply graded approaches of 1 in 36 and 1 in 41 nicknamed The Ski Jump.

On 13 October 2016, the new Burrs Country Park station was officially opened by the Mayor of Bury, where locomotive no. 4472 Flying Scotsman pulled the first train to stop at the station with a bagpipe rendition of 'Scotland the Brave' signalling its arrival.[4]

The remainder of the extension includes a long section at 1 in 85, rising towards Heywood, as the preserved railway line climbs out of the Irwell valley.

The railway is open every weekend of the year, holding a number of themed events and galas throughout the year, which include steam and diesel events, and also offers driver experience courses. The Day Out with Thomas events made a return to the railway after a two-year absence, following fresh negotiations, having previously been unable to reach an agreement in 2009 with HIT Entertainment, the owners of the Thomas brand.[5] While Thomas was absent, the ELR operated Family Engines Big Day Out events featuring alternative engines with faces, such as Jimmy the Jinty.

The railway is run by volunteer members from the East Lancashire Railway Preservation Society (ELRPS). The railway is well known for its collection of diesel locomotives which reside on the railway, along with over 140 carriages, wagons and utility vehicles. Although the ELR does offer a local residents' discount card, and many residents do use the trains at weekends, it does not claim to offer a true commuter service either in levels of services or fares.

Railway stations of the ELR

Point Coordinates
(Links to map resources)
OS Grid Ref Notes
Castleton 53°35′31″N 2°10′42″W / 53.5919°N 2.1783°W / 53.5919; -2.1783 (Castleton Station (Network Rail)) SD88291060 Network Rail
(extension planned)
Heywood 53°35′20″N 2°12′25″W / 53.5889°N 2.2069°W / 53.5889; -2.2069 (Heywood Station) SD86401027
Broadfield 53°35′11″N 2°13′49″W / 53.5863°N 2.2302°W / 53.5863; -2.2302 (Broadfield Station (Closed)) SD84850999 Closed
Bury Knowsley Street 53°35′21″N 2°17′57″W / 53.5893°N 2.2991°W / 53.5893; -2.2991 (Bury Knowsley Street Station (Closed)) SD80291034 Closed
Bury Bolton Street 53°35′36″N 2°17′59″W / 53.5934°N 2.2997°W / 53.5934; -2.2997 (Bury Bolton Street Station) SD80261080
Burrs Country Park 53°36′39″N 2°18′14″W / 53.6108°N 2.3038°W / 53.6108; -2.3038 (Burrs Country Park Station) SD79991273
Summerseat 53°37′39″N 2°18′52″W / 53.6275°N 2.3145°W / 53.6275; -2.3145 (Summerseat Station) SD79291459
Ramsbottom 53°38′51″N 2°18′53″W / 53.6474°N 2.3146°W / 53.6474; -2.3146 (Ramsbottom Station) SD79301681
Stubbins 53°39′29″N 2°19′00″W / 53.6580°N 2.3168°W / 53.6580; -2.3168 (Stubbins Station (Closed)) SD79161799 Closed
Irwell Vale 53°40′37″N 2°18′58″W / 53.6769°N 2.3160°W / 53.6769; -2.3160 (Irwell Vale Station) SD79222009
Ewood Bridge and Edenfield 53°41′00″N 2°18′32″W / 53.6832°N 2.3088°W / 53.6832; -2.3088 (Ewood Bridge and Edenfield Station (Closed)) SD79702079 Closed
Rawtenstall 53°41′56″N 2°17′32″W / 53.6988°N 2.2923°W / 53.6988; -2.2923 (Rawtenstall Station) SD80792252

Volunteer dismissal controversy

In April 2023, the railway was subject to national press coverage for dismissing a female volunteer following her complaint about misogynistic behaviour and discriminatory treatment. The volunteer had been shortlisted as Inspirational Woman of the Year at the 2023 Railway Awards ceremony hosted by the Heritage Railway Association for her work as a heritage railway steam locomotive fireman with Llangollen Railway. The volunteer stated, "the actions of the ELR are the very reason why culture needs to change". The company denied unfair treatment.[6][7]

Reinstatement proposals

Castleton railway station, the terminus of the ELR's extension plans

The heritage line is now just over 12 miles (19 km) long and has a mainline connection with the national railway network at Castleton, just beyond Heywood. The ELR is planning to extend the running line to Castleton in the future, with a new cross platform interchange being the preferred option.[8]

As of 2014 options for providing an interchange station at Castleton between East Lancashire Railway and National Rail services were being explored. Plans for the station were supported by Rochdale Borough Council, which hoped to fund it by adjacent land development.[9]

In 2019, the CityMetric website published a "fantasy" tram link expansion proposal to create an orbital extension to the Manchester Metrolink tram system, which would include part of the current East Lancashire Railway route between Bury and Heywood.[10]

In January 2019, Campaign for Better Transport released a report identifying the line which was listed as Priority 2 for reopening. Priority 2 is for those lines which require further development or a change in circumstances (such as housing developments).[11]

As part of the Government's 'Restoring Your Railway' fund, the route between Rochdale railway station and Bury Bolton Street ELR station was identified as a route for re-opening. As of 23 May 2020, the bid had made it past the first stage of the 'ideas fund'.[12]

Cultural references

In October 2014, Ramsbottom Station and the adjacent level crossing on Bridge Street was featured in the 2017 movie A Monster Calls, which was the scene for an emotional peak in the movie, starring Sigourney Weaver in a Volvo estate car waiting for a BR DMU, in Rail Blue livery, to pass through the crossing.[13]

In the 1990s, the railway was featured in the 1991 film Let Him Have It and in the finale of ITV's comedy series The Grimleys, named The Grimley Curse set in 1978. In 2007, during the finale of BBC One's award-winning drama series Life on Mars, set in 1973, a class 47 was used for scenes of an armed robbery at Brooksbottom Tunnel.

The railway also featured in an episode of Coronation Street, transmitted on August Bank Holiday 2010, when Hayley and Roy Cropper travelled to their wedding aboard an ELR train of Mark 1 coaches hauled by LMS "Black 5" No. 44871, which carried 45407's Lancashire Fusilier nameplates for the occasion. The line also starred in the BBC television film Eric and Ernie, aired on New Year's Day 2011, about the early career of the British comedy act Morecambe and Wise. Bury Bolton Street station was featured, along with a train of Mark 1 coaches hauled by LMS "Black 5" No. 44871. In 2014, the railway was featured in a week of episodes of Hollyoaks (broadcast 3–7 November) which featured a crash involving BR Class 14 no. D9531 "Ernest".

References

  1. "Rawtenstall Station History". Ramsbottom Model Railway Club. 30 May 2014.
  2. "The Full History". East Lancashire Railway.
  3. "A History of the East Lancashire Railway". eastlancsrailway.org.uk/. Retrieved 5 April 2009.
  4. Taylor, David (15 October 2016). "Flying Scotsman returns to Bury to open new station at Burrs Country Park". Prestwich and Whitefield Guide. Bury Times Ltd. Retrieved 21 October 2016.
  5. "Thomas the Tank weekend derailed after legal wrangle". Bury Times. 30 April 2009. Retrieved 28 October 2009.
  6. "Female steam train volunteer claims she was sacked for making sexism complaints". April 2023. Retrieved 4 May 2023.
  7. "Railway charity faces accusations over sacking of volunteer". April 2023. Retrieved 4 May 2023.
  8. Shannon, Laura (7 December 2007). "Back on track for connection". Rochdale Observer. Retrieved 5 April 2009.
  9. Gray, Lisa (12 September 2014). "Plans to link Castleton Station to the East Lancashire Railway remain on track". Manchester Evening News. Retrieved 7 December 2014.
  10. "The Great Manchester Gyratory: An orbital tram line for the Manchester Metrolink". Citymetric. Retrieved 2 January 2019.
  11. "Case for expanding rail network" (PDF). Campaign for Better Transport. January 2019. p. 42. Retrieved 2 September 2021.
  12. "Restoring Your Railway Fund".
  13. "Residents line Ramsbottom street in bid to see film stars in action". Bury Times. Retrieved 23 February 2017.

Further reading

53°35′36″N 2°17′59″W / 53.5934°N 2.2997°W / 53.5934; -2.2997

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