THE East Lancashire Railway has run away with the "large visitor attraction of the year" accolade at the Lancashire Tourism Awards.

The prestigious event, held at the Blackpool Tower Ballroom, recognised and celebrated the contribution of Lancashire’s tourism businesses to the local visitor economy.

Businesses from different tourism sectors, including accommodation, food and drink, retail, venues, visitor experiences and attractions, vied for the top accolade in their category.

East Lancashire Railway (ELR), which attracts nearly 150,000 visitors each year, took home its award after beating off stiff competition from other highly acclaimed regional finalists that included Blackpool Pleasure Beach, Blackpool Zoo, Sandcastle Waterpark and WWT Martin Mere Wetland Centre.

Kate Walker, ELR marketing manager, said: "We are delighted to have been named large visitor attraction of the year at the Lancashire Tourism Awards, especially as the category included some truly fantastic attractions.

"As a predominantly volunteer-run organisation, the award acknowledges the hard work and dedication of our 600 volunteers who help run the railway on a day-to-day basis and is something that we will all treasure for a long time to come.

"Lancashire boasts some fantastic tourist attractions and experiences and we are very honoured to represent our beautiful region as the large visitor attraction of the year.”

The Bury-based attraction has seen significant growth in recent years with the expansion of an annual event programme, dining experiences, Rail Ale Trail tours, photography courses and the strengthening of relationships with local businesses and authorities. The ELR will now progress to the Visit England Excellence Awards 2014, representing Lancashire in the national tourism awards.