8 4 9 ▁with ▁the ▁Lanc ash ire ▁and ▁York shire ▁Railway . ▁Following ▁several ▁years ▁of ▁discuss ions , ▁the ▁East ▁Lanc ash ire ▁Railway ▁was ▁in ▁ 1 8 5 9 ▁am alg am ated ▁with ▁the ▁Lanc ash ire ▁and ▁York shire ▁Railway . ▁ ▁Part s ▁of ▁the ▁network ▁remain ▁in ▁use ▁today , ▁and ▁a ▁section ▁of ▁the ▁original ▁line ▁between ▁B ury ▁and ▁Raw ten st all ▁is ▁now ▁operated ▁as ▁a ▁her itage ▁railway . ▁ ▁History ▁ ▁Manchester ▁and ▁Bol ton ▁Railway ▁▁ ▁In ▁ 1 8 3 0 , ▁the ▁Manchester ▁Bol ton ▁& ▁B ury ▁Canal ▁Company ▁began ▁to ▁promote ▁the ▁construction ▁of ▁a ▁railway ▁along ▁the ▁line ▁of ▁their ▁canal ▁from ▁S alf ord , ▁to ▁Bol ton ▁and ▁B ury . ▁ ▁Following ▁an ▁act ▁of ▁parliament ▁to ▁enable ▁them ▁to ▁become ▁a ▁railway ▁company , ▁they ▁built ▁their ▁line ▁from ▁Manchester ▁to ▁Bol ton , ▁although ▁on ▁a ▁slightly ▁different ▁alignment ▁than ▁was ▁first ▁planned . ▁This ▁was ▁mainly ▁to ▁preserve ▁the ▁canal ▁for ▁the ▁use ▁of ▁mine ▁traffic , ▁which ▁would ▁not ▁have ▁been ▁provided ▁for ▁if ▁the ▁canal ▁had ▁been ▁in filled ▁and ▁replaced ▁by ▁a ▁railway . ▁ ▁A ▁new ▁Act ▁had ▁been ▁required ▁for ▁the ▁new ▁alignment , ▁but ▁due ▁mainly ▁to ▁the ▁ob jections ▁of ▁the ▁company ' s ▁engineer , ▁the ▁connection ▁to ▁B ury ▁was ▁never ▁built , ▁as ▁it ▁would ▁have ▁required ▁a ▁ ▁tunnel ▁on ▁a ▁gradient ▁of ▁ 1  