Neil Emmott, leader of Rochdale Council, visited the East Lancashire Railway on the 14th of September and saw the heritage railway host a tour and provide development updates.

The East Lancashire Railway is based in Bury and is an award-winning heritage railway, registered charity and volunteer-run organisation and is Greater Manchester‘s third most visited paid attraction.

The visit saw a tour of the railways Buckley Wells engineering hub before taking a trip behind a steam locomotive from its fleet. The day also gave the East Lancashire Railway an excellent opportunity to update Mr Emmott on its £12 million infrastructure development project which will enable a proposed increase in services in order to aid growth plans at Heywood and Castleton in Rochdale.

The tour also included the Grade II listed workshops which were originally built back in 1856 where Mr Emmott was able to meet heritage engineering experts, apprentices and some of the railway’s dedicated team of more than 700 volunteers which play a vital role in keeping the organisation moving.

Mike Kelly, Chairman of the East Lancashire Railway, said: “We were delighted to welcome the Leader of Rochdale Council for his first visit to the East Lancashire Railway. As one of the North West’s major tourist, heritage and cultural attractions offering a unique experience of living history, it was great to highlight the huge scale of our operations and the positive impact they have on our local community and visitor economy.

“Councillor Emmott was able to see first-hand the size of the ELR’s ambitions in strengthening our engineering and operational infrastructure, allowing the railway to scale up its facilities to match Rochdale’s own growth strategies for tourism and regeneration at Heywood and Castleton Stations.

“After the challenges of the pandemic, along with the huge costs of coal, diesel and energy supplies, we face an acute challenge and these are uncertain times. However, it was brilliant for our staff and volunteers to get the backing of the Leader of Rochdale in acknowledging the important economic and educational value that we bring to our region.”

Neil Emmott, Leader of Rochdale Council, said: “The history of the ELR and its value to our local community is there for all to see. I really enjoyed my visit and it was fantastic to see the huge scale of the railway operations and the impressive historical setting.

“I was particularly interested to learn about the organisation’s deep commitment to ‘living history’ and their central involvement in our local communities, as well as their wider support for the regional economy and Rochdale’s future plans.

“The ELR’s dedication to the preservation of heritage operations and the passion and devotion shown by staff and volunteers who rescued this important asset of the North West’s industrial heritage, bringing it back to life from dereliction, is hugely impressive. This major North West attraction is an important asset and we wholeheartedly want to work with the ELR going forward to ensure it has a sustainable future as a successful guardian of ‘living history’ for the next generation.”