East Lancashire Railway facts for kids
Quick facts for kids East Lancashire Railway |
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60103 Flying Scotsman at Blackburn Road bridge, Ewood Bridge, heading towards Rawtenstall
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| Locale | North west England | ||||
| Terminus | Rawtenstall and Heywood |
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| Connections | Network Rail (east of Heywood, via Castleton) Manchester Metrolink (south of Bury) |
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| Commercial operations | |||||
| Name | East Lancashire Railway | ||||
| Built by | East Lancashire Railway (1844–1859) | ||||
| Original gauge | 4 ft 8 1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge | ||||
| Preserved operations | |||||
| Operated by | East Lancashire Light Railway Company (ELLR Co.) | ||||
| Stations | 7 | ||||
| Length | 12 miles 45 chains (20.2 km) | ||||
| Preserved gauge | 4 ft 8 1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge | ||||
| Commercial history | |||||
| Opened | 1846 | ||||
| Closed | 17 March 1980 | ||||
| Preservation history | |||||
| 31 March 1986 | Granted Light Railway Order (for public service) | ||||
| 25 July 1987 | Re-opens and public service begins | ||||
| 27 April 1991 | Extension to Rawtenstall | ||||
| 6 September 2003 | Extension to Heywood | ||||
| 13 October 2016 | New halt opened at Burrs Country Park | ||||
| Headquarters | Bury Bolton Street | ||||
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The East Lancashire Railway is a special twelve-and-a-half-mile (20 km) long heritage railway line. It is located in North West England. The railway runs between Heywood, Greater Manchester and Rawtenstall in Lancashire.
Along the way, you can visit several stations. These include Bury Bolton Street, Burrs Country Park, Summerseat, and Ramsbottom. The line then crosses into Rossendale. Here, it serves Irwell Vale and Rawtenstall. Before it closed, the line went all the way to Bacup.
The heritage line is now over 12 miles (19 km) long. It connects to the main national railway network at Castleton. This connection is just past Heywood. The East Lancashire Railway plans to extend its line to Castleton in the future.
Contents
Discover the East Lancashire Railway
Passenger trains stopped running between Bury and Rawtenstall on 3 June 1972. This was done by British Rail. Coal services to Rawtenstall ended in 1980. The line officially closed in 1982.
The East Lancashire Railway Trust brought the line back to life. It reopened on 25 July 1987. At first, trains ran between Bury and Ramsbottom. They passed through Summerseat. In 1991, the service was extended north. It went from Ramsbottom to Rawtenstall, via Irwell Vale.
Two original stations, Ewood Bridge & Edenfield and Stubbins, have not reopened. British Rail closed them to passengers in 1972. Stubbins was where lines to Accrington and Rossendale met. However, there were no platforms for these lines. Rawtenstall is the furthest north the line can go. The railway track beyond Rawtenstall has been removed.
In September 2003, the railway opened an extension to the east. This new section went from Bury to Heywood. To reach Heywood, the extension had to cross the Manchester Metrolink tram line. This was near the old Bury Knowsley Street station. A new bridge was needed for this crossing. It had steep slopes, nicknamed "The Ski Jump."
On 13 October 2016, a new station opened. It is called Burrs Country Park station. The Mayor of Bury officially opened it. A famous locomotive, no. 4472 Flying Scotsman, pulled the first train to stop there. Bagpipes played 'Scotland the Brave' as it arrived.
The rest of the extension to Heywood has a long uphill section. It climbs out of the Irwell valley.
Fun Events and Experiences
The East Lancashire Railway is open every weekend of the year. It hosts many themed events and special days. These include events for steam and diesel trains. You can also try driver experience courses.
The "Day Out with Thomas" events have returned to the railway. They were away for two years. Before, the railway could not agree with HIT Entertainment. This company owns the Thomas the Tank Engine brand. When Thomas was not there, the railway had "Family Engines Big Day Out" events. These featured other engines with faces, like Jimmy the Jinty.
Volunteers from the East Lancashire Railway Preservation Society (ELRPS) run the railway. The railway is famous for its collection of diesel locomotives. It also has over 140 carriages, wagons, and utility vehicles. The railway offers a discount card for local residents. Many residents use the trains on weekends. However, it is not a regular commuter service. It does not offer daily travel or low fares like a normal train line.
Stations of the East Lancashire Railway
The East Lancashire Railway has several stations along its route. Some are open, and some are closed.
| Point | Coordinates (Links to map resources) |
OS Grid Ref | Notes |
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| Castleton | 53°35′31″N 2°10′42″W / 53.5919°N 2.1783°W | Network Rail (extension planned) |
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| Heywood | 53°35′20″N 2°12′25″W / 53.5889°N 2.2069°W | ||
| Broadfield | 53°35′11″N 2°13′49″W / 53.5863°N 2.2302°W | Closed | |
| Bury Knowsley Street | 53°35′21″N 2°17′57″W / 53.5893°N 2.2991°W | Closed | |
| Bury Bolton Street | 53°35′36″N 2°17′59″W / 53.5934°N 2.2997°W | ||
| Burrs Country Park | 53°36′39″N 2°18′14″W / 53.6108°N 2.3038°W | ||
| Summerseat | 53°37′39″N 2°18′52″W / 53.6275°N 2.3145°W | ||
| Ramsbottom | 53°38′51″N 2°18′53″W / 53.6474°N 2.3146°W | ||
| Stubbins | 53°39′29″N 2°19′00″W / 53.6580°N 2.3168°W | Closed | |
| Irwell Vale | 53°40′37″N 2°18′58″W / 53.6769°N 2.3160°W | ||
| Ewood Bridge and Edenfield | 53°41′00″N 2°18′32″W / 53.6832°N 2.3088°W | Closed | |
| Rawtenstall | 53°41′56″N 2°17′32″W / 53.6988°N 2.2923°W |
Future Plans for the Railway
The heritage line is currently over 12 miles (19 km) long. It connects to the national railway network at Castleton. This is just beyond Heywood. The East Lancashire Railway plans to extend its line to Castleton. They hope to create a new station there. This station would allow passengers to easily switch between the heritage railway and national trains.
As of 2014, ideas for this new station at Castleton were being explored. Rochdale Borough Council supported these plans. They hoped to help fund it by developing land nearby.
In 2019, a website called CityMetric suggested a "fantasy" tram link expansion. This idea would create a loop for the Manchester Metrolink tram system. It would use part of the current East Lancashire Railway route between Bury and Heywood.
In January 2019, the Campaign for Better Transport released a report. It listed the East Lancashire Railway line as a "Priority 2" for reopening. Priority 2 lines need more development or a change in circumstances. An example would be new housing projects.
The Government's 'Restoring Your Railway' fund also identified this route. It looked at reopening the line between Rochdale railway station and Bury Bolton Street ELR station. As of May 23, 2020, the proposal had passed the first stage of the 'ideas fund'.
