Community bring railway back to life

AN AWARD-WINNING heritage railway line is opening a rebuilt branch line in Mountsorrel this summer.

The Great Central Railway is well known for transporting thousands of families between Loughborough, Quorn and Woodhouse, Rothley and Leicester North stations.

However, on Saturday and Sunday July 22 and 23, trains will run from the GCR’s main line route onto the newly rebuilt Mountsorrel branch line, almost a decade since efforts to rebuild the branch line began.

After clearing a heavily overgrown trackbed, the community has come together to relay more than a mile of track, as well as creating a heritage centre for Mountosrrel and a nature trail. It was officially opened by HRH Prince Charles in January.

Trains have run on the branch before from the new heritage centre, but they have always stopped short of connection to the main line. The ‘through trains’ will mean passengers can join at Quorn or Rothley stations and go direct to Mountsorrel.

Michael Stokes, from the Great Central Railway, said: “We’re delighted to be chalking up some railway history. Passengers will be able to travel onboard our vintage diesel railcar from Quorn station to the branch line junction at Swithland Sidings, before travelling directly onto the branch line to Nunckley Hill and Bond Lane stations at Mountsorrel.

“At the same time our main line trains will run between Loughborough and Leicester. It is a really special moment to offer a choice of destinations and routes to travel on, and very unusual in the heritage railway world.”

Steve Cramp, who led the project, added: “Our open weekends with trains on the branch have been very popular but having through trains from the Great Central Railway for the first time is very exciting.

“It will mean passengers can travel directly to our new heritage centre to discover the story of this industrial railway. We hope to stage shunting demonstrations with our Mountsorrel Railway wagons and of course the popular nature park alongside the railway will be open to explore.”

It is hoped in future, with changes to the signalling at the junction where the two lines meet, that through trains can operate more regularly.

For more information, visit www. gcrailway.co.uk