Ghostly figures like Billy the Guard are said to haunt the historic platforms of the East Lancs Railway, writes GEMMA JOHNSON
The East Lancs Railway is a 12-mile stretch of heritage railway line running between Heywood and Bacup, stopping at various locations along the way including Rawtenstall, Ramsbottom and Bury.
Construction began in 1844, with the line opening in 1846. Gradual additions followed over the years.
The railway changed hands several times before being closed to the public in 1982. It then sat dormant until the East Lancashire Heritage Trust was formed in 1987 with the goal of restoring it.
Today, hundreds of thousands of passengers travel along the line. The thundering of heritage engines—one of which dates back to the 1800s—can still be heard echoing through the hills.
However, some visitors are not of this world.
Haunted East Lancashire Railway
The East Lancashire Railway is rumoured to be one of the most haunted railway lines in the UK.
Ghost sightings and strange tales are shared about each of the stations along the route. The most famous is Billy the Guard, a nickname given to him by staff. Billy is a regular, otherworldly visitor at Bolton Street Station in Bury.
Billy has been seen walking the platform, dressed in overalls as if he has been working on a train.
Witnesses describe him with a dirty face and hands, his clothes covered in what appears to be coal dust. He moves calmly, eyes fixed ahead, with an expressionless face.
He could easily be mistaken for a volunteer at the station.
When one imagines a ghostly apparition, it’s easy to think of slamming doors and eerie groans. That is not the case for Billy.
His favourite place to haunt is a waiting room between platforms three and four, where he is often seen sleeping on a bench.
Passengers and staff have encountered Billy, often late in the evening when no one else is around. That is exactly what happened to a cleaner working after hours at the station.
As the station fell quiet, the cleaner went about emptying bins, picking up rubbish and tidying flower pots.
They began sweeping the platform and headed towards the waiting room. It had been a busy day, and preparations were underway for an event taking place the next morning.
Upon opening the door, the cleaner saw a man in dirty overalls asleep on the bench—it was Billy.
For a moment, they thought it was a volunteer. Then the man vanished.
The cleaner ran in fear and later vowed never to enter the waiting room alone again—at night or at any other time.
Billy, however, may not be the only presence within Bolton Street Station.
Footsteps are often heard on empty platforms. Doors open and close on their own. Whispering voices are reported, and fireboxes have mysteriously been filled with coal by unseen hands.
If you happen to visit Bolton Street Station and see a man sleeping in the waiting room, leave him be. The afterlife must be a tiring one, and even ghosts deserve a bit of ‘me’ time.
