Pete Waterman, steam enthusiast and President of the East Lancashire Railway Preservation Society, has released a video asking for the public to donate towards the East Lancashire Railway Support Fund to help the line through the difficult times caused by COVID-19.
The video from Pete Waterman, which can be watched below, highlights the hard times the ELR are currently facing.
With your support through donations, the ELR has a better chance of survival and reopening once safe to do so.
The railway is seeking £200,000 to ensure their survival, of which just over £63,000 has been raised through Virgin Money Giving at the time of writing, with donations of any amount much appreciated by the heritage line.
Pete Waterman is well known in both the music and heritage railway industries, supporting many preserved lines across the country and also owning part of London and North Eastern Railway A3 Class No.4472 (60103) “Flying Scotsman” in the 1990s.
For more information or to support the East Lancashire Railway, please visit their website here.
Like the featured image? It is available as a print through the RailAdvent shop – please click here for more information.
Where Next?
RailAdvent Plus
   Get image downloads, Prints and Streaming Video
News Homepage
   For the Latest Railway News
RailAdvent Online Shop
   Framed Prints, DVD’s / Blu-Ray’s and more
LocoStop Community
   Come and share your railway pictures
Mainline Steam Info
   Upcoming mainline steam tours/loco movements
Responses
Firstly the elr is a heritage line with classic railway stock, i think one of the best preserved lines in the uk .lots of rail enthusiasts spend lots of money and enjoy a day out,i believe there is a fare reduction for locals ,but if you dont want to pay anything use your bus pass and travel that way, we do not want this line turned into a metro with trams, thank you.
Its time that local residents were encouraged to use the trains as they once were by sensible pricing. Once you could go from Summerseat to Bury return for £2. Now greed has changed this to the extent it does not make sense to use it.
I for one would happily see it replaced by a service into Manchester by extending the Metro which is free for pensionaries.
How informatively appealing this latest online video really is (even with ELR Vice President Mr Pete Waterman on-screen in-between),
Especially on the call for funding to help this Terrific Heritage Railway bravely deal through dreary times.
I too want all Heritage Railways (especially the East Lancashire Railway – which I myself visited/rode aboard ‘in-person’ 3 times before) to be well funded and given a permanently secured future each.
The ELR itself, along with all other fellow Heritage Railways deserve to live, Together they’re part of each and every land, valley, economy and tourism all-round through and through.
Good Luck to the Enterprising East Lancashire Railway on it’s latest appeals (including this one) by the way.