The Great Central Railway runs from Loughborough to Leicester North station close to the Leicester outer ring road. This railway is one of the better railways and is well worth a vist.There are also stations on the line at Rothey and at Quorn & Woodhouse. The head quarters of the railway are at Loughborough were the engine shed is. The railway has a large collection of steam and diesel engines. The railway is open weekends and bank holidays and daily from June to September.
The Manchester, Sheffield and Lincolnshire Railway opened the line in full from London to Manchester t on 9th March 1899. This part of the line which is now run by The Great Central Railway ran from Annsley north of Nottingham to Marylebone in London. This was part of a main line that was to link Manchester with Paris when the purposed channel tunnel was built. In 1894 £3,132,155 was what the railway was going to cost, with a extra £250,000 for the channel tunnel project. These amounts were way out and the railway alone cost four times the amount at £11,500,000. Lords cricket ground had to be dug up for the tunnel under it to Marylebone station this caused even in those days a lot of bad press.
The part of the railway which the present Great Central runs on was mainly double track with island platforms for the stations, a road bridge placed over the platforms gave access to the stations. The present railway station at Loughborough is a perfict example of Great Central statations at a small town and Quorn & Woodhouse and Rothey are examples of a small village station. The present Leicester North is all new but is only yards away from a station that was called Belgrave & Birstall.
The line was closed in parts from 1966 The trains having been run down with long station stops to make trafic move to the roads. The M1 being built on some of the track bed. In 1969 The Main line Steam Trust was formed by a small group with aims of restoring main line running to part of the line. The track from Rothey to Loughborough is now doulbe.
The Railway has its own web site http://gcrailway.co.uk. or phone 01509 230726
Some books to read about the line.
The last Years of the GREAT CENTRAL Main Line.............................Robert Robotham
