The dream to unify two halves of the Great Central Railway (In the UK) is slowly becoming a reality. A lot has happened since. I will update everyone on here as to what has and will happen with the Reunification project on the Great Central Railway.
A bit of history first of this Main Line to London.
The Great Central Main Line was the last built main line to London before High Speed Rail (HS1 and 2). Opened in 1899, the Great Central went from Sheffield (South Yorkshire) through Nottingham, Leicester, Rugby and Aylesbury all the way to London Marylebone Station (Central London). In the 1960's however (under the beaching cuts) the main line was forced to close completely. Many great railway stations, tunnels and viaducts on this line were lost and demolished.
However in the 1970's a group of people came together to save the line between Birstall (Now Leicester North station) and Loughborough station. Since then the Great Central heritage Main Line now has the title "The UK's only double track main line steam railway" in Britain. It is the only place in the UK (Possibly the whole world) where two running heritage trains can pass each while running on the same railway. There is also a heritage railway centre south of Nottingham (In Ruddington) also on the former Great Central Main Line.
The Major update on the REUNIFICATION PROJECT. The UK's biggest heritage railway project.
There is a 500 metre gap on the edge of the town of Loughborough in the UK. This town is also home to Loughborough University (A top UK University). This gap currently separates the Great Central in Leicestershire and the Great Central in Nottinghamshire. The point of the Reunification Project is to close this gap and reconnect both halves of the heritage railway together. To make a 18 mile long heritage railway. Amazing progress has already been made on this project. Three major bridge upgrades have already been completed. But more still needs to be done.
The Great Central Railway (Leicestershire) has released a new YouTube video (below) to update everybody on the progress of the big Reunification Project. The project continues to gather pace with more money/funds coming in to keep the Reunification Project moving forward. The next stage is to apply for planning permission to build the remaining sections of the project. An overall planning application will be submitted by the Great Central Railway Management Board very soon to Charnwood Borough Council.
(Above) BR (British Rail) Standard Class 9F 92214 at Leicester North Station.
For more on this. Please have a look at the link below. And if you can please donate to the David Clark Railway Trust (on the Great Central Railway Website) to help make this mega heritage railway project a reality.
Here is the link to the Major Reunification Update video: GCR Reunification update - April 2024 - new design revealed!
And here is the Great Central Railway Website (For buying tickets and more) : https://www.gcrailway.co.uk/
I've done the Great Central about ten years ago- time to do it again!
The Great Central was England's equivalent of the Erie/EL. The early abandonment during the Beeching regime on British Rail was not surprising.
Great Central is a great name.
I agree. It wasn't a suprise. But the Great Central was really well designed and made, as a Main Line. It did have that advantage over other older Main Lines.
Yeap.
54light15 I've done the Great Central about ten years ago- time to do it again!
My apologies. In orginal reply I said three main bridges upgrades had been completed in the Reunification Project. This is a mistake. It's Two main bridges have acutally been upgraded (The orginal GCR bridge over the canal and the A60 bridge). And the one main bridge over the Midland Main Line is new and has been built from scratch. Anyways I think the Tornado Steam train is still at Loughborough locomotive shed but I'm not sure now.
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