Bury: Thousands of pounds in damage caused by vandals to ELR carriage

East Lancashire Railway (ELR) said nine windows of the Mark 1 Buffet Carriage were smashed at around 3pm on May 30 at its Baron Street engineering workshop in the Buckley Wells depot.

About £2,000 worth of damage was caused to the carriage after multiple windows were smashed, leaving broken glass both inside and outside the train.

Railway bosses have contacted police regarding the incident, and have asked anyone with information on the incident can call Greater Manchester Police and quote crime reference number: CRI/06 NN/ 0008748/24.

ELR's Mark 1 Buffet Carriage has suffered damage by vandals (Image: East Lancashire Railway)

Mike Kelly, chairman of East Lancashire Railway, said: “We’re deeply saddened by this mindless act of vandalism, which has caused £2,000 worth of damage to a historic carriage.

“East Lancashire Railway is steeped in history and provides a crucial link to the heritage of the beautiful Irwell Valley.

“Most of our team are volunteers and as an organisation, we rely on the goodwill of the community.

The railway says around £2k in damage has been caused (Image: East Lancashire Railway)

“Looking after these historic assets is challenging enough at times, and this damage will delay our restoration roadmap as the carriage will be out of action for up to three weeks.”

ELR have recently launched two fundraising bids to help restore sections of its historic railway line, including its locomotive shed and the Higher Woodhill Viaduct, nears Burrs Country Park, which is in need of repair.

Nine windows on the buffet carriage have been smashed (Image: East Lancashire Railway)

In April, ELR launched an appeal to raise £1.28million for the work, most of which will be covered by grants.

Maintenance work is required to the viaduct in the next 12 months to ensure it its future. The last maintenance work to take place was carried out in 1932.

The ELR is also looking to secure a total of £2m to restore its the roof of the 168-year-old workshop, on Baron Street.

The railway is looking to secure part of the money from a grant from the government’s Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, and an additional £75,000 from the public via its Raise our Roof Campaign.