The East Lancashire Railway has announced that General Manager, Tracey Parkinson, is leaving her role as General Manager.

Tracey has been General Manager for six years and has lead the railway through the pandemic as well as making improvements in certain areas such as health, safety and welfare.

The reason behind Tracey leaving has been said to be to ‘explore new opportunities’.

Lee Kenny is to become Acting General Manager with a review of the position to take place in the new year.

Tracey Parkinson said: “I want to thank the ELR board, senior management team, and staff for their unwavering support throughout my six year tenure. Most of all I want to thank the amazing and wonderful group of special and dedicated ELR volunteers.

“As I move on, I will always look back fondly on my time at the ELR, and I wish everyone connected with the ELR my very best wishes.”

The statement released by the ELR is as follows

Mike Kelly, Chairman of the East Lancashire Railway (ELR) said: “Tracey has expressed a wish to move on and explore new opportunities.

“Throughout her time with the ELR she has been an exceptional and transformational general manager in what has been a very challenging few years both during and after the pandemic.

“Her legacy is significant for the East Lancashire Railway, in terms of securing much-needed funding which will help guarantee our future, as well as successfully leading the railway through the pandemic and making many operational improvements to health, safety, and welfare.

“Tracey has expanded the range of popular visitor and enthusiast events, offering a fantastic experience, achieving record visitor numbers and turnover.

“Over her six years of stewardship, she worked tirelessly to make the railway a welcoming and inclusive environment to volunteers, promoting youth work and making ‘full access’ improvements, including the development of a number of important partnerships which will sustain the railway going forward.

“Tracey is also very popular and respected more widely in the heritage transport movement. We will miss Tracey’s infectious smile and her terrific energy in advocating heritage railways, and we wish her well for the future.

“Lee Kenny is stepping up and is ELR’s acting general manager, with a future review of the position to take place in the new year.”