Halloween Ghost Train at The East Lancashire Railway

There’s something about Halloween that makes the end of October feel a little more exciting. The nights are drawing in, there’s a chill in the air and, really, what else is there to do but fully embrace spooky season and spend an evening chasing monsters around a heritage railway?

The East Lancashire Railway’s annual Halloween Ghost Trains return from 29 – 31 October, bringing plenty of spooky season fun to Bury Bolton Street Station. This year, the action centres on the mysterious Swamp Monster of Irwell Vale, with reports of strange splashing, deep growls, giant footprints and a suspicious trail of slime along the railway tracks.

Families are invited to join Zombie Bob and his Monster Squad as they attempt to get to the bottom of it. Before boarding, there’s a Halloween walkthrough across the footbridge, complete with jump scares, followed by songs, dancing and suitably dramatic appearances from returning favourites Vampire Brian and Veronica the Witch.

Then it’s onto the Scream Train itself, which has had a darker makeover for 2026. Expect flickering lights, eerie noises and creepy surprises. There’s also the possibility of an unexpected passenger joining the journey somewhere along the way.

Fancy dress is encouraged – hurrah – so feel free to get creative and give this year’s Halloween costume a proper outing. Food, drinks and snacks will also be available at Bury Station, including a Halloween BBQ and the Station Café.

For families looking for something a little different to do over Halloween, this one ticks a lot of boxes – steam trains, dressing up, theatrical scares and plenty of fun. And, really, if you can’t hunt a swamp monster on a dark railway at the end of October, when can you?