RAWTENSTALL Station is to be extended to cater for longer trains now a £1.2 million extension to the East Lancashire Railway has been agreed.

The volunteer-run railway opened from Bury to Ramsbottom in 1987, was extended to Rawtenstall in 1991 and yesterday the first train travelled from Bolton Street Station, Bury, to Heywood.

The Heywood link was ended 30 years ago and its restoration means the East Lancashire Railway will soon be able to connect with the national train network so trains could depart from Rossendale to travel anywhere in the UK.

Trevor Jones, chairman of the East Lancashire Light Railway Company, said: "This is excellent news for the railway. The volunteers have worked very hard to restore the connection."

A special Pullman train, The Red Rose Diner, hauled both by a steam and a diesel locomotive, took guests including Rossendale MP Janet Anderson along the line, which has taken 10 years to reconstruct.

The link to the national rail network was severed when Metro trams were introduced between Bury and Manchester but a new hump-backed bridge now takes the line over the tram system.

It is hoped once the line reopens fully it will boost visitor numbers on the railways from 120,000 a year to 150,000 which will in turn benefit the economy of the boroughs by up to £1 million.

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