The East Lancashire Railway (ELR) has received a vital cash boost to help towards safeguarding its future, as the ongoing impact of the pandemic has left it fighting for financial survival.
The ELR Trust has provided the heritage railway with a £300,000 interest-free loan to help them get through the remainder of the challenging winter period and provide moral support to its staff and volunteers.
The ELR Trust is a charity made up of four groups of Trustees including the three local authorities the railway runs through – Bury, Rochdale and Rossendale – and has been overseeing the successful development of the heritage railway for over 30 years.
The cherished railway turned to the ELR Trust – which owns the land and leases the railway line to the ELR – for support after a tough winter where lockdown measures resulted in an extensive amount of cancelled services and events which have meant that apart from a short few days leading up to Christmas it has been closed since November.
The railway was unable to run its much-loved Santa Specials in December due to local coronavirus restrictions – depriving it of its most important source of income of the year.
East Lancashire Railway Chairman Mike Kelly said: “We’re incredibly proud of the timeless experience the ELR provides for hundreds of thousands of visitors a year – thanks to our dedicated staff and volunteers.
“However, the coronavirus pandemic has forced us into an extremely challenging financial situation as successive lockdowns and tier restrictions have taken their toll and deprived us of crucial visitor income.
“Restrictions also meant we were unable to run our Santa Special trains, an enormously popular event, which was extremely disappointing, and without this income we were reduced to facing the prospect of bankruptcy.
“As we enter 2021, with no certainty on when we can reopen, significant financial challenges still persist.
“And so we are incredibly grateful for the support from the ELR Trust and this precious lifeline of a timely and generous £300,000 loan, which gives hope for the future.”
