IT'S full steam ahead for the East Lancs Railway's long-awaited Heywood link.

This week the company finalised lengthy negotiations with Railtrack to take over the four-mile line, which will give them a gateway to the rest of the national rail network.

The company has received a draft lease agreement from Railtrack's solicitors over the crucial section of track at Heywood.

The company's Bury to Rawtenstall line has been isolated since work on the Metrolink began more than five years ago.

It gives the green light to ELR planners to complete final survey work on the Light Railway Order to be advertised in October.

Said ELR planning officer (Rochdale) Mr Tony Williams: "This is both a significant and historic moment because it means we can expect trains to be running to Heywood before the Millennium and it marries up the old East Lancashire Railway Line and the Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway Line."

Already some £2.5 million pounds, some of it from Europe, has been invested in restoring the former British Rail line between Bury and Heywood which has included new bridges.

Said Mr Williams: "The negotiations, which involved a 500 metres stretch and a level crossing, had been going on for ages but now that Railtrack's objection is being removed we can look forward to the Light Railway order being approved by Christmas."

Work has already been running apace on the old Heywood Railway Station.

Funding for platform works is being sought and for essential signalling at the Bury South junction but the ELR executive is confident that once the Light Railway Order is approved the money and business sponsorship will be found.Double celebrations

The East Lancashire Railway had double cause for celebration when they learned they had won another award for tourism yesterday.

The ELR won the "Tourism For All" award at the United Utilities North West Tourism Awards.

The award is made to tourist attraction which work to make themselves accessible to the disabled.

The ELR's new special needs person coach, and the introduction of a loop hearing system in the booking hall, helped them win.

Mrs Dorothy Naylor, chief executive of the North West Tourist Board, said: "The ELR fully deserves this award for the facilities that it has put in place."

The award was announced at a prestigious event in Blackpool yesterday, and is the latest in a long line of awards won by the Bury-based company.

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