East Lancashire Light Railway Company Limited
About
To preserve, restore and operate the railway lines, together with such lands and buildings adjacent thereto in Greater Manchester and Lancashire and in particular the East Lancashire Railway line, for the advancement of technical, historical and general education and for the permanent preservation, of steam and other railway locomotives, rolling stock, road vehicles, equipment and relics.
Focus & reach
Verification & registration
Every mark links to the official registry entry and opens in a new tab.
Integrity assessment
A score from 0 to 100 for how openly a charity shares public information across five areas: registration, financial disclosure, governance, contact details, and data recency. It does not measure programme impact. See exactly what we do and do not have →
Financials
Charity Commission (UK)Leadership at a glance
Official filingsSimilar charities
GiveRadar Intelligence
GiveRadar Analysis
Based on the records currently verified by GiveRadar, East Lancashire Light Railway Company Limited has a substantially complete profile, cross-referenced across 3 independent sources including the Charity Commission.
- By reported annual revenue, it is larger than 92% of the 78,357 education charities in the United Kingdom with financial records on GiveRadar. See the filings
- GiveRadar holds 5 years of financial filings for this organization, the most recent for fiscal year 2024. See the filings
- Its integrity score of 76 places it in the top 25% of the 87,708 education charities in the United Kingdom GiveRadar tracks, because GiveRadar has verified its financial disclosures and its registration. View this cohort
- government registration
- financial records (5 filed years)
- disclosed leadership
- a website
- a contact email
Analysis based on GiveRadar's benchmark dataset of 2026-07-03. It describes what GiveRadar has verified, not a judgment of the organization itself.
Filing history
5 years on file from Charity Commission (UK): revenue, expenses, program spending, assets, and liabilities by fiscal year.
See 5 years of revenue, expense breakdowns, and balance sheet.
Sign up to viewTax deductibility
Whether a gift to East Lancashire Light Railway Company Limited lowers your own taxes depends on where you pay them. Choose your country to see the rule that applies.
UK donations qualify for Gift Aid. EAST LANCASHIRE LIGHT RAILWAY COMPANY LIMITED is registered with the Charity Commission. Eligible UK taxpayers can boost their gift by 25% at no extra cost.
EAST LANCASHIRE LIGHT RAILWAY COMPANY LIMITED is in United Kingdom, a TGE (Transnational Giving Europe) member country. Dutch donors can route gifts via Stichting Transnational Giving Europe to receive Dutch ANBI-equivalent deductibility, subject to TGE's 5% pass-through fee.
EAST LANCASHIRE LIGHT RAILWAY COMPANY LIMITED is registered in United Kingdom. US donors generally cannot deduct gifts to non-US charities directly. To claim a deduction, route the gift through a US 'Friends of' fiscal sponsor or a donor-advised fund that performs equivalency determination (IRS Rev. Proc. 92-94).
This is general guidance, not tax advice. Confirm treatment with the charity or your tax advisor before donating.
Leadership & board
Official filingsBoard members and senior officers on record, with disclosed pay where available.
10 officers and trustees on file, free with a GiveRadar account.
No red flags detected
Timeline
From official filingsKey dates from this charity's official filings, newest first.
In the news
No recent news coverage found
News coverage will appear here when articles mention this organization.
Trustpilot
Always loved going on the ELR and have a residents pass. However the move to a new ticket provider Quay Tickets is so disappointing. Not the friendliest of systems and not trying to book during the first week of June to find that there is actually no availability on 2nd June, I find hard to believe. Of course there is availability at more than DOUBLE the price over the BH dates. The war weekend cannot possibly dictate this massive price increase! I am looking at over £120 for my party of 6 to go literally from Rawtenstall to Ramsbottom! Extortionate rates, very disappointing. No idea why I cannot book for the Thursday when there is a timetable, yet I can book the days after with yet no timetable.
Trustpilot
I had paid for a Residents Permit 18 months before the L-Down and myself and my then 3 year old paid £7.50 for a full line return and we used the line every 3 or 4 weeks. October 2022 I renewed the Residents Permit after numerous failed attempts due to staff shortages. We took a full line return costing neary £30!!! We have not been able to use the Residents Permit again as all weekends were "Special Events" or the the Railway has been closed for Winter (which was never the norm before). We used to enjoy this line on a very regular basis, now it is "find the date when it is open for regular running" as the timetable has been slashed. I have heard reasons as to why this is happening; Lack of coal, Price of coal, Lack of visitors. The "lack of visitors" is down to the; Slashed Timetable, Not running weekend trains, Too many "Specials".Run more regular trains you will might get visitors.The ELR has lost a lot of volunteers who's hobby was the railway, they gave up as THERE WERE NO TRAINS! To be honest the Railway was a shambles on a regular but fun way and was a regular part of our lives. Now it is just an afterthought to a Saturday morning, if thought of at all when it was a regular planned Saturday event. RIP ELR
Trustpilot
Santa expressBoringPathetic attempt Impossible to parkPoor value for money experience for a family. Rushing through the crowds to catch your train then nothing happens for 30 mins a short ride to no where - with 2 carols a v quick visit from Santa and some pathetic presents - boring day - would not recommend- could not wait to go home!!!
Trustpilot
The first thing I want to mention is - parking for the Santa express was horrendous, and even the overflow car park wasn't enough. However, we were late to our booking because of a crash on the motorway, 45 minutes in standstill. When we turned up we explained what had happened and why we had missed our pre-booked slot on the train, I fully expected to be told that we had to leave and our slot was gone, but they went above and beyond. Huge huge thanks to the team working there that day, they got myself, my partner and my child on the train that was in the station at that time (our original train had left). They communicated between multiple members of the team, didn’t make it awkward for our young child, and managed to get us on to a spare table with us all sat together. Everything felt as it should have, we still had our time on the train, our gift bags and our child had the gift from Santa that was pre-approved. Honestly the team there went above and beyond and our child loved it. There was no hint from anyone that it was stressful or too much which helped us keep the magic for them. It was a wonderful experience and we loved it. If I could thank them individually I would.
Trustpilot
Having enjoyed so much the Flying Scotsman centenary celebrations I purchased tickets for Legends of Steam. Obviously the organisers were not the same. For a major event, there were no numbered seats, too few places for tickets sold, crammed carriages and ever lengthening queues. Not an enjoyable experience. On the plus side I did manage some good photographs.
Trustpilot
Went on a surprise visit with my daughter & friend. As I was in a wheelchair, I was ushered on first up a ramp & seated at the first table where they had provided a bouquet, balloon & 80th banner. I was treated as if I was royalty. All the staff were so friendly & arrived en 2 masse to sing happy birthday & give me a card. The 2 course lunch we had was excellent & they provided me with gluten free. I felt I was treated like royalty from start to finish. The best day out I have ever been on.
Trustpilot
Have visited the railway a few times over the years and always enjoyed it.My wife booked me on a drivers experience day for a significant birthday. Wonderful experience made all the better by fantastic staff and volunteers.I was able to drive and fire city of wells on the watch of Dave Jones (driver) and Mark (fireman). Both are great guys and are a credit to the railway. It makes such a difference when you can enjoy your interests with knowledgeable and enthusiastic people who are easy to talk to. Everyone there on the day was brilliant and I am hoping to volunteer there in the future!10/10!
Trustpilot
We booked the Lancastrian lunch experience to celebrate my 80th with family and friends. It proved an enjoyable and memorable experience. Boarding was well organised and we were taken to our seats in carriage C. The ambiance was lovely, the food excellent and beatifully presented. Our dietary requirements were well catered for and the service was brilliant. All in all a great experience.
Trustpilot
We had afternoon tea which was a gift. Unfortunately it wasn’t the best experience. Although the staff tried hard to be welcoming they were unsure and pretty miserable. The food appeared with little effort and seemed to be supermarket bought sandwiches cut into triangles with a packet of scones and shop bought chocolate cake. Totally unappealing and poor value. At least a little effort and thought could have been made with freshly baked scones and thoughtfully prepared sandwiches! The coffee was stale from a prepared flask. I would have liked to give a good review as this is a lovely local experience. Unfortunately the lack of catering thought totally let it down.
Trustpilot
the annual visit to the east lancs for there diesel gala from previous visits they always put on fantastic event i highly recommended this railway to any who wants a great day out
How it stacks up against peers
Compared with 8 similar education charities in United Kingdom.
Cause areas in United Kingdom
Charities working in each area, this charity's highlighted.
Sources and verification
- Officers and trustees
- Charity Commission for England and Wales - Register of Charities · 10 disclosed in the public registry.
What we know and don't know
Every data point we track for this charity, and whether we have found it. Disclosure only, never a judgment of the charity's work.
Data freshness
How current this profile is, and when we last checked it against the official source.
Methodology
GiveRadar builds each profile primarily from official government charity registries, supplemented where available by third-party nonprofit databases and news archives, and combines it into a single 0-100 integrity assessment. The exact sources for this charity are listed above. We don't take a cut of any donation, ever.
Read full methodologyIf you represent this organization and want to correct or update its data, you can claim this listing to edit details yourself, or email info@giveradar.com with the correct information. We review every request and respond within 30 days.
Frequently asked questions about East Lancashire Light Railway Company Limited
East Lancashire Light Railway Company Limited is a registered education nonprofit based in Bury, England, United Kingdom. It is registered with the Charity Commission for England and Wales. It was founded in 2019 and has been operating for 7 years. GiveRadar's Integrity Assessment for the organization is 76/100, which reflects how much public information is available, not whether the charity is legitimate. The organization reports £5M in annual revenue. 10 officers and directors are publicly disclosed. No red flags have been detected. The charity has 14 community reviews with an average rating of 3.6/5. On Trustpilot, it has a rating of 3.9/5 based on 14 reviews.
Based on official filings, East Lancashire Light Railway Company Limited has £5M in annual revenue. It allocates 16% of expenses to programs and services. This is below the average of 97% for education charities in United Kingdom. Its revenue is significantly above the peer average of £910K. Create a free GiveRadar account to view the complete financial breakdown with year-over-year trends.
To preserve, restore and operate the railway lines, together with such lands and buildings adjacent thereto in Greater Manchester and Lancashire and in particular the East Lancashire Railway line, for the advancement of technical, historical and general education and for the permanent preservation, of steam and other railway locomotives, rolling stock, road vehicles, equipment and relics. East Lancashire Light Railway Company Limited is classified as an education organization registered in United Kingdom. The organization was founded in 2019.
East Lancashire Light Railway Company Limited is a charitable company limited by guarantee, the most common incorporated form for UK charities. It is registered with both Companies House and the Charity Commission, and must file annual accounts with both regulators. Directors (who are also charity trustees) have limited liability.
East Lancashire Light Railway Company Limited's registered charity number is 1186648. You can use it to look up the organization on the Charity Commission register.
East Lancashire Light Railway Company Limited is located in Bury, England, United Kingdom. The organization was established in 2019 and has been active for 7 years.
East Lancashire Light Railway Company Limited is based in Bury in England. The Charity Commission for England and Wales (CCEW) is the primary regulator. Scotland has its own regulator (OSCR), and Northern Ireland has the Charity Commission for Northern Ireland (CCNI). A charity registered with the CCEW may operate across the whole of the UK or internationally.
Check any charity before you give
Search 7.9M+ nonprofits across 100+ countries. Free, and no account needed.
Report an issue
Tell us what's wrong with this charity's page. We review every report and typically reply within 2 business days.
Report sent
Thanks for flagging this. Our team will review it.
Press Esc to close
Save East Lancashire Light Railway Comp…?Download this profile as a PDFVisit East Lancashire Light Railway Comp…'s websiteLog a donation to East Lancashire Light Railway Comp…
Create a free GiveRadar account to save charities and track them in your dashboard.Create a free GiveRadar account to download charity profiles as a clean PDF.Create a free GiveRadar account to open charity websites and keep your research in one place.Create a free GiveRadar account to record donations and track your giving over time.
Quick facts about East Lancashire Light Railway Company Limited
- What is East Lancashire Light Railway Company Limited?
- East Lancashire Light Railway Company Limited is a education charitable company based in Bury, United Kingdom. To preserve, restore and operate the railway lines, together with such lands and buildings adjacent thereto in Greater Manchester and Lancashire and in particular the East Lancashire Railway line, for the advancement of technical, historical and general education and for the permanent preservation, of steam and other railway locomotives, rolling stock, road vehicles, equipment and relics.
- When was East Lancashire Light Railway Company Limited founded?
- East Lancashire Light Railway Company Limited was founded in 2019.
- Where is East Lancashire Light Railway Company Limited located?
- Headquartered in Bury, England, United Kingdom.
- What is East Lancashire Light Railway Company Limited's annual budget?
- Annual revenue for fiscal year 2024 is £5.2 million. 16% of expenses go to program services.
- Is East Lancashire Light Railway Company Limited trustworthy?
- East Lancashire Light Railway Company Limited has a GiveRadar Integrity Assessment of 76 out of 100 (Strong transparency). The score reflects public-data transparency: registration, financial disclosure, governance, contact details, and how recently data was refreshed. It does not measure program impact.
- What is East Lancashire Light Railway Company Limited's website?
- https://www.eastlancsrailway.org.uk
- Are donations to East Lancashire Light Railway Company Limited tax-deductible?
- Donations may be tax-deductible for residents of United Kingdom under local rules. US donors should check whether the charity has an equivalency-determination letter or a US-based fiscal sponsor before claiming a deduction.