East Lancashire Railway is trialling the placement of additional static carriages at its Bury and Rawtenstall stations – allowing for extra seating and extending the local pubs onto the platform and a warm shelter from winter weather.
Rawtenstall pub goers can now grab a pint from Buffer Stops pub and soak in the authentic atmosphere of a classic 20th century railway carriage just a few steps away from the bar. The carriage added to Rawtenstall station, one of seven stops on the ELR line, adds 40 additional seats to the pub.
Following the success of the extra room, a carriage has also been added to Bury Bolton Street station – home of The Trackside pub.
The static carriages at Bury Bolton Street station are adding 100 extra seats to the overall capacity of the pub – which is frequented by local real ale enthusiasts and families. The Trackside is also the 2022 Pub of the Year for the Bury area, recognised for its selection of real ales and ciders.
Chairman of the East Lancashire Railway, Mike Kelly, comments: ““We fully appreciate that sitting outside through the winter season is not possible every day.
So, While the railway is closed in January and February for important track maintenance
works, we brought up a couple of vintage carriages ensuring there is an additional welcome place for for people to enjoy a drink in a unique setting
“We put in extra heating and set the carriages in both platforms where the customer feedback has been a big thumbs up!
“It was the pub staff who had the idea and it has been a joint effort to get it in place, so a big thank you to all our staff and volunteers who have made it possible.”
Run by volunteers, the heritage railway relies on the local community to keep its doors open, so the added seating not only adds to the atmosphere, but also helps drive vital revenue into the railway, which is a registered charity.
