For the very first time the Great Central Railway is offering a choice of destinations for travellers.
The award winning Leicestershire heritage line is well known for transporting thousands of families between Loughborough, Quorn and Woodhouse, Rothley and Leicester North stations. Now, for the first time, it can say ‘all change for Mountsorrel’.
On the weekend of the 22nd and 23rd of July, trains will run from the GCR’s main line route onto the newly rebuilt Mountsorrel Branch Line. Previously, trains on the branch line have always stopped short of the connection to the main line. The ‘through trains’ will mean passengers can join at Quorn or Rothley stations and go direct to Mountsorrel.
Our open weekends with trains on the branch line 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 heritage centre to discover the story of this industrial railway. We hope to stage shunting demonstrations with our Mountsorrel Railway wagons and of course our popular nature trails, 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.
It is a weekend not to be missed. It is a salute to the many thousands of hours invested by the community in the Mountsorrel Railway project. The branch line and main line couldn’t be more different. It’s a pleasure to be able to recreate an entirely new experience.
Train times for the weekend are still to be confirmed although there is expected to be 5 trains each day running to Mountsorrel. Ticket prices and options will be confirmed shortly. Further details can be found on the GCR’s Website