Passenger services between Bury and Rawtenstall were withdrawn by British Rail on 3 June 1972.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 heritage line is now just over 12 miles (19km) 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.[5]
As of 2014[update] 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.[6] A rail connection with the Metrolink line also exists, just south of Bury, at Buckley Wells. This was formerly the connection to the Electric Car Shops, where the Class 504 EMU sets were maintained, and was created when BR services were diverted to Bury Interchange in 1980.
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.[7] 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.
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".
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 BRDMU, in Rail Blue livery, to pass through the crossing.[8]
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.[9]
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).[10]
The ELR is home to a mixed collection of small to large designs, some of which are main-line certified. These often visit other heritage lines or can be found operating mainline excursions, especially during the summer season (March–October).
Built in 1954 at Brighton Works. Recently undergone restoration from scrapyard condition, running in commenced in October 2018 and returned to service for the first time in preservation in early 2019.[11]
Built in 1881. Recently returned to service following overhaul at Baron Street Works for its owners the "Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway Trust".[12] Presently outshopped in BR unlined black with the early BR crest and the BR number 51456. Although authentic for the class no 752 never wore it or carried the number 51456 as it was sold from the LMS in 1937 to what would later become the national coal board. Usually based at the Keighley and Worth Valley Railway
Built in 1937. Based at the railway for the remainder of its boiler ticket, withdrawn from service in early October due to fault of boiler pipes. Currently on display inside Bury Transport Museum.
Built in 1915. Withdrawn for overhaul September 2019 and sent to Old Hall Farm, Cumbria. Returned to service in December 2019 following its contract overhaul. Currently on loan to Beamish Museum.
Built in 1943. Douglas is a converted tender locomotive from a standard Hunslet Austerity. Returned to service in September 2017. On loan to the Spa Valley Railway
Built in 1927 at Crewe Works. Out of service for 2018, due to cracked flue tubes, and replacement of all the flue tubes needs to be undertaken alongside replacing the cracked ones. The engine's 10-year overhaul is to be undertaken in a bid to allow the ELR to have an operational engine rather than having 34092 out of traffic at the same time as 13065 in the future.[13][14]
Built in 1927. On display in Bury Transport Museum.
Diesel
The ELR is home to one of the largest preserved diesel fleets on a UK heritage railway. Many locomotives are owned by private individuals or an owning group, which co-operate as the ELR Diesel Group.
Built in 1950. Departed from the ELR in the 1990s for the West Somerset Railway, it is operational following boiler and firebox repairs at Riley and Sons workshop in Bury.
Built in 1920. Moved to the East Lancashire Railway in 1996 so 499's boiler could be removed and donated to sister engine 30506. Whilst at Bury, frames were overhauled and painted, and the wheels and crank pins were turned. Under restoration at the Mid Hants Railway.
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'.[16]
Related Research Articles
Bury is a market town on the River Irwell in the Metropolitan Borough of Bury, Greater Manchester, England. which had an estimated population of 78,723 in 2015.
Rossendale is a district with borough status in Lancashire, England, located along the River Irwell and spanning a large valley. It is located south of Burnley and east of Blackburn. The borough borders Greater Manchester to the south and borders the boroughs of Bolton, Bury and Rochdale.
The Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway (L&YR) was a major British railway company before the 1923 Grouping. It was incorporated in 1847 from an amalgamation of several existing railways. It was the third-largest railway system based in northern England.
Castleton is an area of Rochdale, Greater Manchester, England, 1.2 miles (1.9 km) south-southwest of Rochdale town centre and 8 miles (13 km) north-northeast of the city of Manchester.
Ramsbottom is a market town in the Metropolitan Borough of Bury, Greater Manchester, England. The population at the 2011 census was 17,872.
The East Lancashire Railway operated from 1844 to 1859 in the historic county of Lancashire, England. It began as a railway from Clifton via Bury to Rawtenstall, and during its short life grew into a complex network of lines connecting towns and cities including Liverpool, Manchester, Preston and Blackburn.
The British Rail Class 504 was a unique type of electric multiple unit that ran on 1200 V DC third rail with side-contact current collection. All other mainline UK third rail has the electric "shoe" on top of the rail. The type was used only on the Bury Line between Manchester and Bury. They were built in 1959 at Wolverton Works, and the body was a standard type used for several electrification schemes of the time, but the high DC voltage through a side-contact third rail was unique in Britain. The trains replaced the previous 5-car units built by the Lancashire & Yorkshire Railway for the route, which had inaugurated this electrification scheme in 1916.
Rochdale railway station is a multi-modal transport hub in Rochdale, Greater Manchester, England. It consists of a Northern-operated heavy rail station on the Caldervale Line, and an adjoining light rail stop on Metrolink's Oldham and Rochdale Line. The original heavy-rail element of the station was opened by the Manchester and Leeds Railway in 1839 0.5 miles (0.80 km) to the south of Rochdale town centre. The Metrolink element opened in February 2013. Further changes to the station are planned as part of the Northern Hub rail-enhancement scheme.
Castleton railway station serves Castleton in the Metropolitan Borough of Rochdale, Greater Manchester, England. It is 8¾ miles (14 km) north of Manchester Victoria on the Caldervale Line operated and managed by Northern.
Bury Knowsley Street is a former railway station in Bury.
Bury Bolton Street railway station is a heritage railway station in Bury, Greater Manchester, England. Located on the East Lancashire Railway.
Bury Interchange is a transport hub in the town of Bury, Greater Manchester, England. Opened in 1980, it is the northern terminus of the Manchester Metrolink's Bury Line, which prior to 1992 was a heavy-rail line. It also incorporates a bus station.
Rosso (Rossendale Transport Limited) is a bus operator providing local services in Greater Manchester, Lancashire and West Yorkshire, England. It is a subsidiary of Transdev Blazefield, which operates bus services across Greater Manchester, Lancashire, North Yorkshire and West Yorkshire.
Ramsbottom railway station is a heritage station serving the town of Ramsbottom in Greater Manchester, England.
Heywood railway station serves the town of Heywood in Greater Manchester, England. The original station was opened in 1841. It was resited in 1848 when the line was extended to Bury. It closed on 5 October 1970. It re-opened on 6 September 2003 as an extension of the East Lancashire Railway from Bury Bolton Street. The boundary between the ELR and the national rail network is located a short distance east of the station, at Hopwood.
The Rawtenstall to Bacup railway line opened in two stages, from Rawtenstall to Waterfoot in 1848, and from Waterfoot to the Bacup terminus in 1852. There were stations at Rawtenstall, Cloughfold, Stacksteads and Bacup. The line was doubled in 1880, at the same time as the line from Bacup to Rochdale was also opened. Passenger and freight services operated until the Beeching cuts in 1966, the last passenger train running on 5 December 1966 and the track being lifted in 1969. As the Irwell valley is quite narrow the line had many engineering features in its 5-mile length, including 14 crossings of the River Irwell alone, plus many over and underbridges, embankments and cuttings, and tunnels at Thrutch Gorge in Waterfoot. Most of the bridges have been demolished or infilled in the years since closure. A foot and cycle path now follows much of the route including the 1/8 mile Newchurch No. 1 Tunnel and 1/4 mile Newchurch No 2 Tunnel.
Stubbins railway station served the village of Stubbins, Rossendale, Lancashire, England. Opened by the East Lancashire Railway in 1847 on their line from Bury Bolton Street into Rossendale, it was situated next to the junction of the lines toward Accrington and to Rawtenstall and Bacup, but only had platforms on the latter route.
Helmshore railway station served the village of Helmshore, Rossendale, Lancashire between 1848 and 1966.
Irwell Vale is a village within the Rossendale borough of Lancashire, in North West England. which lies at the confluence of the River Ogden and River Irwell.
The Bury Line is a tram line of the Manchester Metrolink running from Manchester city centre to Bury in Greater Manchester. Originally a railway line, it was, along with the Altrincham Line, converted into a tram line during 1991–92, as part of the first phase of the Metrolink system.
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