GCR reunification project hits £1 million milestone

THE Great Central Railway’s (GCR) scheme to link both preserved sections of the former main line has been boosted by the news that £1 million has been raised to complete the next two phases involving the reinstatement of railway infrastructure in Loughborough. The push is now on to finance the remainder. “If we reach £2,500,000, we unlock the Factory Flyover and if we reach £3 million we unlock the work on the short embankment on the north side on the new and already constructed Midland Main Line bridge,” enthused Andy Fillingham, chairman of the Friends of the Great Central Main Line, the membership club supporting the GCR and leading the fundraising for the project. The two railways were separated after closure in the 1960s. Putting them back together will create an 18 mile heritage link between Leicester and Ruddington.

Two phases have already been completed, including a new bridge to carry trains over the Midland Main Line at Loughborough and the full refurbishment of an existing bridge over the Grand Union canal.

Latest

Asked about the latest on the project, Mr Fillingham told the RM: “We are making substantial progress behind the scenes. Working with engineering consultants Cass Hayward, the initial design work for the rest of the project has been completed. While the route of the railway is protected in the local plan, we will need to get planning permission to continue building, which we hope to achieve by summer 2023.” The planning application will cover the rest of the required infrastructure: the Factory Flyover, the small section of embankment needed north of the new Midland Main Line bridge and the remaining connection between the Factory Flyover, south to the refurbished canal bridge. “We are already in preplanning application discussions with Charnwood Borough Council, which is our landlord, plus other local stakeholders,” added Mr Fillingham. “Phases three and four are next – a bridge across Railway Terrace Road and another over a local factory car park. We are calling it ‘The Factory Flyover’ and it will use a combination of brand new pre-stressed concrete bridge beams and a more traditional metal bridge deck. In total it is another 61 metres of new railway. Building these two phases together will save money in the long run, but we still need to find £2,500,000 so we can put shovels in the ground as soon as we have permission to build.”

Support

Mr Fillingham concluded: “Raising one million pounds is an incredible achievement. To everyone who has supported the appeals and got involved, a heartfelt thank you. This is a real people power project, putting back a railway which so many didn’t want to close in the first place. It is the biggest heritage railway project in the UK and has really got people fired up!” Donations can be made online at www.gcrailway.co.uk