Editing East Lancashire Railway (section)

== 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Passenger services between Bury and Rawtenstall were withdrawn by [[British Rail]] on 3 June 1972.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.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ramsbottommrc.org.uk/rawtenstall-station-history| title=Rawtenstall Station History| website=Ramsbottom Model Railway Club| date=30 May 2014}}{{unreliable source?|date=July 2017|reason=This source appears to be a mirror of a Wikipedia article}}</ref> The East Lancashire Railway Trust reopened the line on 25 July 1987.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.eastlancsrailway.org.uk/downloads/28/east-lancashire-railway-history.ashx| title=The Full History| website=East Lancashire Railway}}</ref>  The initial service operated between [[Bury, Greater Manchester|Bury]] and [[Ramsbottom]], via [[Summerseat]]. In 1991, the service was extended northwards from Ramsbottom to reach [[Rawtenstall]], via [[Irwell Vale]].<ref name="ELRhistory">{{Cite web | title = A History of the East Lancashire Railway|url=http://www.eastlancsrailway.org.uk/history | publisher = eastlancsrailway.org.uk/ | access-date = 2009-04-05}}</ref> 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 [[Borough of Rossendale|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.

[[File:60007 East Lancashire Railway.jpg|thumb|Freight train passing over the "Ski Jump" bridge]]
In September 2003, an eastbound extension from Bury to [[Heywood, Greater Manchester|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 railway station|Bury Knowsley Street station]].  This necessitated the construction of a new intersection bridge, with steeply graded approaches of {{railway gradient|36}} and {{railway gradient|41}} nicknamed The Ski Jump.

On 13 October 2016, the new {{stnlnk|Burrs Country Park}} station was officially opened by the Mayor of Bury, where locomotive [[LNER Class A3 4472 Flying Scotsman|no. 4472 ''Flying Scotsman'']] pulled the first train to stop at the station with a bagpipe rendition of '[[Scotland the Brave]]' signalling its arrival.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Taylor|first1=David|title=Flying Scotsman returns to Bury to open new station at Burrs Country Park|url=http://www.prestwichandwhitefieldguide.co.uk/news/14802167.Flying_Scotsman_returns_to_Bury/?ref=mrb&lp=18|access-date=2016-10-21|work=Prestwich and Whitefield Guide|publisher=Bury Times Ltd|date=2016-10-15}}</ref>

The remainder of the extension includes a long section at {{railway gradient|85}}, rising towards Heywood, as the heritage 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 locomotive|steam]] and [[Diesel locomotive|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.<ref>{{Cite news | title = Thomas the Tank weekend derailed after legal wrangle | url = http://www.burytimes.co.uk/sport/football/shakers/buryfcredirect/talkingshakers/burynews/4331236.Thomas_the_Tank_weekend_derailed_after_legal_wrangle/ | newspaper = Bury Times | date = 2009-04-30 | access-date = 2009-10-28}}</ref> 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.