Volunteer with
the ELR
The East Lancashire Railway relies on volunteers all day, every day. Without people like you, we wouldn’t be able to maintain and run our heritage trains, open our stations or host the events and experiences that our guests love.
We currently have over 800 volunteers who donate their free time – mid-week or at weekends, both during the day and in the evenings – to work in a huge variety of roles on the ELR.
The East Lancashire Railway Preservation Society (ELRPS) needs your help to secure the future of our heritage line and all the locomotives on it. We need volunteers of all ages, all backgrounds and with all levels of experience to help us keep our Lancashire heritage – our magnificent British history – safe for all to enjoy.
From staffing the ticket office to restoring classic carriages, greeting guests, operating heritage signal boxes or even driving a train, if you’re looking for a wide range of volunteering opportunities in Manchester and Lancashire, we’d love to hear from you.
Download the Leaflet for more info
What experience do I need to have to volunteer?
You don’t need to have any experience to volunteer with the East Lancashire Railway, as full training will be given to those with little or no experience. All we ask is that you’re positive and enthusiastic about the ELR, you take pride in your work and you love being part of a team.
Whatever your skills or interests, whatever jobs you’ve done previously or qualifications you hold, we’ll find you a brilliant role that you’ll absolutely love.
We’ve got lots of volunteering opportunities for young people, those who’ve retired and even lots of part time options for those who can only spare a few hours each week. You just need to be over 18.
The benefits of volunteering with the ELR
Volunteering offers a wide array of benefits. Make new lifelong friends, enjoy that feeling of achievement at seeing trains running when you have been a part of restoring them, use existing skills and develop new ones and even pass knowledge on to others. There’s a passion and camaraderie running through everything at the railway that has to be felt to be believed.
As if that wasn’t enough, there are a number of perks to volunteering at the ELR:
Free trips
Enjoy limited free trips on the line, each and every year.
Family visits with a Family Membership
Bring the whole family for one free trip a year and get discounted rates for all other journeys.
Regular updates
Get a free subscription to ELR News, with articles and stories every quarter.
Most importantly, you’ll get to go behind the scenes to see how
your help and support keeps our incredible heritage railway open!
Departments you could volunteer with
Take a look at all the ways you can get involved with East Lancashire Railway.
Scroll left and right to see the full ranges of roles available.
Bury Transport Museum
Welcome guests and manage admin front of house, help out in the cafe on event days or teach inquiring young minds about the museum’s history.
Carriage & Wagon Department
From complete rebuilds and repaints to regular maintenance and inspections, help keep our coaches and freight vehicles in tip top shape.
Civil Engineering Department
The line needs regular maintenance to keep it operational, and there’s always building work to be done. Could you help us paint, repair, dig and replace?
Diesel Locomotive Department
Help us take care of one of the largest heritage diesel fleets in the UK, restoring, maintaining and driving these fantastic locos.
Carriage Cleaning Team
Keep our carriages looking their absolute best, inside and out, so all our guests can travel in comfort and style.
Electrical Department
There’s a lot of electrics on the ELR, and we’re always replacing station lights, changing light fittings, repairing tools and PAT testing equipment.
Events Department
Our incredibly popular events always need volunteers to help them run smoothly. You could welcome guests, keep crowds under control, host activities or even dress up as special characters.
Guards Department
Take full charge of the train in this safety critical position, preparing and inspecting them before a journey and then dispatching them safely from the station.
Retail
Give our guests the chance to take home a memento from their day out, and help our gift shops (and event day pop up stands) bring in important revenue for the ELR.
Signalling Department
Without our Crossing Keepers and Signallers, our trains couldn’t run. We’ll give you full training for these critical roles so you can make sure our trains pass through safely.
Station and Train Buffets
Keep all our guests happy and refreshed with a role in our station buffets or serving drinks and snacks up and down a moving train.
Stations Department
Our stations are the first part of the ELR that guests experience, and we always need volunteers to man ticket offices, guide the public and keep the buildings looking brilliant.
Steam Locomotive Department
If you want to operate our steam engines, then this is the department for you. We have lots of roles including drivers, firemen, cleaners and shed support staff.
Steam Locomotive Engineering
Help us preserve our fleet of steam locomotives with a volunteering role maintaining, repairing and restoring these magnificent engines.
Travelling Ticket Inspectors
Help our guards run a safe and efficient train and make sure all our guests have the right ticket for their journey. You’ll provide information on prices and timetables too.
The ELRPS Display Stand
Tour the region and promote the ELR and its Preservation Society at railway events all around the North West.
Signal and Telecoms Engineering Department (S&T)
Department members undertake Safety Critical Design, Installation, Maintenance Renewal & Faulting of the railway’s S&T equipment. An interest in railways and previous experience in S&T or Mechanical Engineering is desirable.
Information and Sales Desk Bury
The information and sales desk is the place to be , it’s the beating heart of customer service , be that selling tickets or being the face of the East Lancashire Railway. You could be selling Diner tickets one minute or advising people how to make their day the most memorable in the next.
Our information desk personnel are the customer service ambassadors of the Railway.
Find out more
If you are interested in volunteering with us please fill out the form below and we’ll be in touch!
Get Involved
If you’d like to volunteer with the East Lancashire Railway, the first step is to join our East Lancashire Railway Preservation Society.
We’ll then share more details about the departments you’re interested in, to help you understand the duties and responsibilities.
We also host regular site tours where you’ll see volunteers in action, learn more about their activities, and ask any questions you might have.
And remember, you donate as much or a little time as you want.
Members Tours
The railway needs working members now more than ever. Find out about the range of volunteer opportunities on one of our frequent members tours. These tours are open to all ELRPS members, whether you’re an existing working member or interested in becoming one.
During the tour you will be taken behind the scenes and given the opportunity to chat with those that already work in the railway. A tour typically includes a trip to a working signal box, a look around the Carriage and Wagon works plus a visit to the extensive loco works and sidings at Baron Street.
Find Out More
To find out what we do and how you can get involved please contact our Volunteer Liaison Officer who will be more than happy to tell you more:
Margaret Wilson
www.elrps.co.uk