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GCR Bridge Project

etr221

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Hi etr 221.
I think the reunification videos connected to the website do explain in more detail the various benefits of the project - both to the GCR and to the NHR as well as the East Midlands as a whole. Essentially though, reunification gives direct access for the GCR to the main line for possible charters, testing contracts and locomotive servicing. It creates an 18 mile Main Line Heritage railway which is unique. It provides two destinations from Loughborough GC. It gives a range of destinations from Ruddington. The sum is greater than the parts.....and it fulfils that driving ambition of many thousands of people to have a preserved Main Line between two major cities - Leicester and Nottingham. It must also be remembered that we are very fortunate to still have so much steam on the main line....but it sometimes hangs from a thread...
Thanks - I don't doubt, and this is all what I would expect. But ... this is something that should be on a high profile web page - linked to and from the GCR, Unification, EMRT and NHR web sites - not a forum post.

And like fgwrich I like forward to seeing it. But it really needs a greate degree of cooperation and - dare I say - unification than is apparent to project the vision, achieve the vision and show off the vision
 
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Hi fgwrich
According to the EMRT website, the intention is to build a chord line to connect the Ruddington station to the line South, so getting rid of the present reversal.
And creating a rather useful ability to turn HST power cars!
 

Flying Phil

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Good to see an update on the GCR website re the £1M+ raised so far.......and news that we are also benefitting from HS2!
 

WestRiding

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Quick question without wishing to start a new thread. Is the GCR connected to NR at present?
 

Cowley

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Thanks, but it will at Loughborough after it is connected, from the Midland Mainline?

That’s right although once up onto the GCR(N) the train would have to reverse to head back to Loughborough Central/Leicester North etc.
 

Flying Phil

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Hi Roast Veg - it is in the Reunification section of the website......."Meanwhile Reunification has received an usual boost from an unlikely source. The brand new High Speed 2 rail line is currently being built between London and Birmingham. It’s crossing the site of the original GCR station at Finmere in Oxfordshire. During the work, some masonry has been recovered, including eight handsome Victorian bridge coping stones. They will be used in the construction of the Reunification scheme, giving the new project a real connection to the past."
 

Roast Veg

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Hi Roast Veg - it is in the Reunification section of the website......."Meanwhile Reunification has received an usual boost from an unlikely source. The brand new High Speed 2 rail line is currently being built between London and Birmingham. It’s crossing the site of the original GCR station at Finmere in Oxfordshire. During the work, some masonry has been recovered, including eight handsome Victorian bridge coping stones. They will be used in the construction of the Reunification scheme, giving the new project a real connection to the past."
Great news, thanks for quoting.
 

fgwrich

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Hi Roast Veg - it is in the Reunification section of the website......."Meanwhile Reunification has received an usual boost from an unlikely source. The brand new High Speed 2 rail line is currently being built between London and Birmingham. It’s crossing the site of the original GCR station at Finmere in Oxfordshire. During the work, some masonry has been recovered, including eight handsome Victorian bridge coping stones. They will be used in the construction of the Reunification scheme, giving the new project a real connection to the past."
That's great to hear - and at least bits of Finmere will continue to live on. I hope some of the HS2 Spoil can be used in the construction of the embankment leading up to the bridge too, as there's still a rather large gap at present between the NHR metals and the new MML Bridge.
 

LowLevel

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A question: What does the future operation of the joined GCR look like? Who will be in charge?
You may as well ask for Saturday's winning Lottery numbers. From the recent press release it appears the Northern end will be adopting the South's safety management system and rulebook. As for anything else, it's not really been a matter of public discussion yet.
 

Flying Phil

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A question: What does the future operation of the joined GCR look like? Who will be in charge?
In train terms I would think that there will be trains running from L'bro to the North and to the South. There will be some trains running the length of the line between Ruddington and Leicester North. They will operate to ORR agreed standards. There will still be an NHR, GCR, EMRT and DCRT which co-operate and liaise closely to give the public a superb 18 mile Heritage Main Line Railway, with significant double track and access to Network Rail.....It will not always be easy and there may well be further "bumps" along the way ...... but that is the stated aim of all concerned.
So let us carry on fund raising and get that "Gap" closed.
 

Speed43125

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In train terms I would think that there will be trains running from L'bro to the North and to the South. There will be some trains running the length of the line between Ruddington and Leicester North. They will operate to ORR agreed standards. There will still be an NHR, GCR, EMRT and DCRT which co-operate and liaise closely to give the public a superb 18 mile Heritage Main Line Railway, with significant double track and access to Network Rail.....It will not always be easy and there may well be further "bumps" along the way ...... but that is the stated aim of all concerned.
So let us carry on fund raising and get that "Gap" closed.
Might it be troublesome in terms of families trying to travel the full length of the route? optimistically you'd be looking at 2.5 hours for a return end to end journeys, which seems to me to be rather cumbersome when dealing with younger children?
 

John Webb

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Might it be troublesome in terms of families trying to travel the full length of the route? optimistically you'd be looking at 2.5 hours for a return end to end journeys, which seems to me to be rather cumbersome when dealing with younger children?
The North Yorkshire Moors with its through trains to Whitby from Pickering covers some 24 miles. Would be interesting to know how many young families do the complete journey there and back.
 

zwk500

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The North Yorkshire Moors with its through trains to Whitby from Pickering covers some 24 miles. Would be interesting to know how many young families do the complete journey there and back.
I would be surprised if more than a handful of families (or tbh passengers generally, excluding bashers) didn't skip at least one arrival to go explore the town a bit. Leicester and Nottingham are nice enough, I'm sure, but they don't have quite the same charm as Whitby.
 

Roast Veg

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I would be surprised if more than a handful of families (or tbh passengers generally, excluding bashers) didn't skip at least one arrival to go explore the town a bit. Leicester and Nottingham are nice enough, I'm sure, but they don't have quite the same charm as Whitby.
Additionally you aren't really in either when alighting anyway.

Ruddington, Quorn, Rothley, and Leicester are the only stations with car parks. Assuming no change required at Loughborough, most families will likely do a single out-and-back in the furthest direction from their start point - so mostly up to Ruddington and back, unless starting from there.
 

DarloRich

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In train terms I would think that there will be trains running from L'bro to the North and to the South. There will be some trains running the length of the line between Ruddington and Leicester North. They will operate to ORR agreed standards. There will still be an NHR, GCR, EMRT and DCRT which co-operate and liaise closely to give the public a superb 18 mile Heritage Main Line Railway, with significant double track and access to Network Rail.....It will not always be easy and there may well be further "bumps" along the way ...... but that is the stated aim of all concerned.
So let us carry on fund raising and get that "Gap" closed.


thanks - I think you have answered the question is was trying to ask as to whether there would be a new governing body to run the joined line.
 

Up Main

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Additionally you aren't really in either when alighting anyway.

Ruddington, Quorn, Rothley, and Leicester are the only stations with car parks. Assuming no change required at Loughborough, most families will likely do a single out-and-back in the furthest direction from their start point - so mostly up to Ruddington and back, unless starting from there.
There is of course some parking available at Rushcliffe Halt (East Leake), probably enough for about 20 vehicles at the moment, but that will improve a little in due course along with other planned improvements. It is the only station between Ruddington and Loughborough and the only passing place for trains.

EMRT have just produced a new Youtube video giving an insight into Rushcliffe Halt and its history. This location will become increasingly featured as the reunification project and fundraising are ramped up.
 
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38Cto15E

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Is the small bridge near to Swithland Reservoir where there is a 5mph temporay speed restriction going to be a big job?
I imagine this 5mph check could curtail any commercial high speed runs.
 

Flying Phil

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There has been nothing said about that bridge job - but I suspect it is well in hand and will be done whilst the railway is quieter- between "Last Hurrah Gala" and Winter Wonderlights/Santa trains possibly..... It looks to be small because the bridge is only about 3 M long but access is difficult, both by ground and rail.
 

75A

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I would be surprised if more than a handful of families (or tbh passengers generally, excluding bashers) didn't skip at least one arrival to go explore the town a bit. Leicester and Nottingham are nice enough, I'm sure, but they don't have quite the same charm as Whitby.
Whitby station is in the Town Centre, very near to the sea etc, Leicester North is nowhere near the delights of Leicester City Centre.
 

Flying Phil

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Whitby station is in the Town Centre, very near to the sea etc, Leicester North is nowhere near the delights of Leicester City Centre.
True, but there is the Space Centre and Abbey Pumping Museum within half a mile of Leicester North.....and the Railway/Transport museum planned is still very much an active project.
 

DJ_K666

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And Leicester North is in the middle of housing, just off a main road. It's the old Belgrave and Birstall station, one stop north out of Central.
 
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75A

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And Leicester North is in the middle of housing, just off a main road. It's the old Belgrave and Birstall station, one stop north out of Central.
It's not the old Belgrave & Birstall station at all, Leicester North is a modern build several hundred yards south.
 

Cowley

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It's not the old Belgrave & Birstall station at all, Leicester North is a modern build several hundred yards south.

You can see the old entrance to Belgrave & Birstall in a bridge as you start to approach the modern station on the train from what I recall?
 

DJ_K666

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It's built on part of the site. You could extend the platform a bit and it'd be opposite the site of the platform. That said the old entrance is indeed there and can be seen from the modern station.
 

matt

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Leicesternorth.png

Station Road is where the station entrance used to be with the steps heading south towards the current Leicester North plaform you can see at the bottom of the image.
 

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