Overview
After formal closure by British Rail in 1982, the line was reopened on 25 July 1987. 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.
However, two original stations on the line, closed to passengers by BR in 1972, have not reopened. They are the former Ewood Bridge & Edenfield and the former Junction station of Stubbins. Rawtenstall is the practical northern limit of the line as the formation on towards Bacup has been lost immediately north of the station.
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'.
The remainder of the extension includes a long section at 1 in 85, rising towards Heywood, as the line climbs out of the Irwell valley.
The heritage line is now just over 12 miles (19 km) long, and has a mainline connection with the national railway network at Castleton, beyond Heywood. The ELR plans to extend the running line further into Castleton in the future, (to where a new (and separate) platform named "Castleton Village" will be constructed, (adjacent to the main station itself).
Options for providing an interchange station at Castleton between East Lancashire Railway and National Rail services are currently being explored. 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.
There are also plans to construct and open a new station at Buckley Wells, between 2012 and 2015, by the locomotive shed. As the majority of the trackwork exists, the work will be relatively simple, requiring just a run round loop and building a single platform. This will mean that the south end of the line will be more accessible to the disabled and elderly. A new car and coach park will also be constructed, (to reduce lack of space from another car park or two within the Bury area of the ELR).
The railway is open every weekend of the year and holds a number of themed events and galas throughout the year which include steam and diesel events amongst others, 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 with HiT Entertainment, the owners of the Thomas brand. 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 2001 the railway was featured in the finale of ITV's comedy series The Grimleys, named The Grimley Curse, and then in 2007 on the finale of BBC One's award-winning drama series Life on Mars.
The railway was 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, and 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.
Read more about this topic: East Lancashire Railway