East Lancashire Railway gains ORR testing licence
Lancashire Railway has been granted a licence by the Office of Rail and Road to allow trains to operate along part of its route at a maximum speed of 60mph.
The licence will apply to the sections of line from Heywood to Bury and Bury to Summerseat and grants permission for both testing and filming at higher speeds than are in place for the operation of passenger services, which is restricted to 25mph over the whole 12 miles of railway between Heywood and Rawtenstall.
ELR’S head of operations, Jeff Armstrong, said: “This new non-main line certification from the Office of Rail and Road marks a significant expansion in our testing capacity.
“We have a long tradition of welcoming operators and contractors to the network, but this new licence now eliminates any need to request temporary dispensations – making the entire process of testing equipment more streamlined and straightforward for all.”
The ELR was previously given permission from the ORR to operate a section of the Bury to Heywood route at speeds of up to 60mph for testing purposes, but approval had to be sought from the regulator on each occasion the dispensation was required.
The new licence from the Office of Rail and Road allows the ELR to carry out testing, commissioning and filming at higher speeds over the relevant sections of line for the next five years without the need to seek permission each time.
It also allows the heritage railway to enhance its testing facilities, which have been used by Network Rail and other organisations on a number of occasions.