Donor’s pledge to double the money in rail way project
FUND-RAISING IN MARCH WILL BE MATCHED UP TO £100,000
THE Great Central Railway’s plans to reconnect two halves of the line are set to leap forward with a massive fund-raising drive this month.
A donor has offered to matchfund any donations received during the month pound for pound up the value of £100,000.
“It’s an incredible moment for the project,” said Andy Fillingham, chairman of the Friends of the Great Central Main Line, which is overseeing the fund-raising campaign.
“We already have good news to share because our totaliser has reached £500,000.
“With everyone’s help we can spread some positivity and push that totaliser even higher thanks to the Money Match March scheme.”
The multi-million pound project will create an 18-mile heritage railway linking Leicestershire and Nottinghamshire, reconnecting two sections of the Great Central Railway separated after they were closed in the 1960s.
The reunification project requires 500 metres of Victorian railway to be rebuilt, and is one of the biggest schemes in UK railway preservation. Two parts of the scheme have been completed, including building a bridge to carry heritage trains over the national rail network. The next two sections to be built have an estimated cost of £3 million and have been dubbed The Factory Flyover as they cross a factory car park and a road in Loughborough.
“As much as we would like to, we can’t build the next stages until we have the vast majority of the funding in place,” Andy said.
“That’s why Money Match March is so important.
“We can take the £500,000 already raised and supercharge our fund-raising thanks to this amazing offer. Every contribution takes us closer to building again and delivering the benefits of reunification.”
The completed railway will be used not only for heritage trains and boosting tourism, but to attract more commercial work to the line, including testing and training for other rail companies.
This will help secure the GCR’s long-term future as well as bringing income to the East Midlands economy.
Meanwhile, the latest plans for the next section have been published by the railway. Developed by engineering consultants Cass Hayward, they show concrete beams being used to construct the car park and road crossing.
A reclaimed bridge deck donated by Network Rail will also be used. “These are really exciting times for the Reunification scheme,” said Andy.
“It was once described as impossible, but people power is making it happen and if everyone gets behind Money Match March, we’ll really have some momentum going.”
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