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Loughborough Central | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Platform and clock | |||||
| General information | |||||
| Location | Loughborough,Leicestershire England | ||||
| Coordinates | 52°46′07″N1°11′45″W / 52.7686°N 1.1959°W /52.7686; -1.1959 | ||||
| Grid reference | SK543193 | ||||
| System | Station onheritage railway | ||||
| Operated by | Great Central Railway (preserved) | ||||
| Platforms | 2 (1 Island) | ||||
| History | |||||
| Original company | Great Central Railway | ||||
| Post-grouping | London and North Eastern Railway | ||||
| Key dates | |||||
| 15 March 1899 | opened | ||||
| 5 May 1969 | closed | ||||
| 23 March 1974 | reopened | ||||
| |||||
Loughborough Central Station is arailway station on theGreat Central Railway and theGreat Central Railway (preserved) servingLoughborough.
The station was opened by theGreat Central Railway on 15 March 1899,[1] built to the standard GCR arrangement of having anisland platform set between the two main running lines. The platforms are 400 feet (120 m) long, capable of accommodating consists of up to 6 coaches and/or mail vans.[1] The station buildings are unique on the preserved railway, the only station with a complete canopy, the longest in railway preservation. The station was closed byBritish Rail under theBeeching Axe, on 5 May 1969.[1]
Reopened by the Great Central Railway as part of the restoredheritage railway in 1974, train services currently run south from the station toLeicester North. Within the station complex, the station buildings, original GCRsignal box sited to the north, and the three original water tanks are allGrade II listed.[2]
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Original station facilities include: ladies' waiting room and powder room; general waiting room; gentlemen's toilets; and a refreshment room/cafe. In 2009, a £20,000 grant allowed the station to have new toilets, and a lift in the entrance hall to be installed for the benefits of thedisabled visitors. The railway society have also added a book and gift shop, a museum, and an emporium/shop.
All stations on the preserved Great Central Railway are set in a specific era; at Loughborough this era is the 1950s. Many artefacts around the station aid in this atmosphere, including original and recreated British Railways posters, British Railways totem poles, a 1950s TV showing 1950s transportation films in the general waiting room, and a display of 1950s platform trolleys and bicycles.
The station also plays host to the command centre of the heritage railway operations, from which the Duty Traffic Manager organizes all movements which take place on the railway from the Station Master's Office.
The station has appeared in many film and television programmes, chosen for its retro aesthetic, such asEnigma,Shadowlands andCemetery Junction. The station and Great Central Railway line were also featured in the fourth episode ofthe 17th series ofBBC'sTop Gear programme, shown on 17 July 2011 during a train/car feature, which was filmed in June 2011.[6]
From a long fenced pathway alongside the northward line, the running shed can be viewed. This large 3-road building has to accommodate both residential and visiting motive power, as well as serving as a workshop. Unlike most other railways, it is possible to go inside and see "most" of the steam locomotives in various stages of completion. Only the third road is inaccessible to the general public.
The currentLoughborough Gap project will result in the shed being demolished, due to its position intercepting the line to Ruddington. The replacement is a 10-road fromWorkington inCumbria, which will be rebuilt brick-by-brick into an 8-road shed, which could have enough storage for 16 large tender engines. Thebrownfield site on which it will eventually be built, will include the shed itself (half of which will be converted into a workshop), a second carriage works, storage sidings and an education centre for school groups.
| Preceding station |  Heritage railways | Following station | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Terminus | Great Central Railway | Quorn and Woodhouse towardsLeicester North | ||
| Proposed extension | ||||
| Loughborough towardsRuddington Fields | Great Central Railway | Quorn and Woodhouse towardsLeicester North | ||
| Disused railways | ||||
| East Leake Line open, station closed | Great Central Railway London Extension | Quorn and Woodhouse Line and station open | ||
