St. Helens & South Lancashire

Rail & Bus Photos Site.

East Lancashire Railway (ELR).

This section features photos at stations on the ELR, plus at lineside locations including Burrs Country Park. Please click a link to view photos at each location.

The original East Lancashire Railway was a fairly extensive system within Lancashire. It later became part of the Lancashire & Yorkshire Railway. The Principal lines were:

Preston to Blackburn, Accrington & Colne.

Clifton Junction to Bury (Bolton St.), Ramsbottom & Accrington.

Ramsbottom (Stubbins Junction) to Rawtenstall & Bacup.

Liverpool (Walton Junction) to Lostock Hall (near Preston).

Plus various short connections to other railways.

There is a short, but excellent history of the railway by R.W. Rush, published by Oakwood Press. Other information can be found in John Marshall's history of the L.&Y.R.  

The current ELR operates between Rawtenstall & Bury (Bolton Street), and thence via a realigned connection through the site of Bury Knowsley Street, continuing as far as Heywood. The latter is a residual section of the L&YR line that once ran from Bolton to Bury & Castleton (for Rochdale.)