A MAJOR rail excursion is set to run through East Lancashire for the first time in more than a decade tonight.

The Red Rose Kipper will be travelling along a number of branch lines between this evening and tomorrow morning.

And it will be the first time in years that some of the stations en-route will have seen a 12-carriage train pass.

Rail enthusiast Stephen Martin, of the Save The East Lancashire Line Association (STELLA) has secured a seat on the trip.

He said: β€œIt has been more than 10 years since this special went up the branch lines.”

The train will set off from Crewe at 9.50pm and travel as far as Windermere, Manchester Airport and Blackpool South, with the East Lancashire leg travelling through all stations en-route to Colne and back.