Loughborough Central railway station facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Loughborough Central
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| Station on heritage railway | |
Platform and clock
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| Location | Loughborough, Leicestershire England |
| Coordinates | 52°46′07″N 1°11′45″W / 52.7686°N 1.1959°W |
| 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 a cool old train station in Loughborough, England. It was once part of the original Great Central Railway. Today, it's a key stop on the Great Central Railway (preserved), a special railway where historic trains still run.
Contents
Journey Through Time: Loughborough Central Station's Story
This station first opened its doors on 15 March 1899. It was built by the Great Central Railway. The station has a unique design with an island platform. This means the platform is in the middle, with train tracks on both sides.
The platforms are about 400 feet long. This is long enough for trains with up to 8 carriages. Loughborough Central is special because it has the longest complete roof (called a canopy) over its platforms on any preserved railway.
Sadly, the station closed on 5 May 1969. This was part of a big plan to cut railway lines across Britain, known as the Beeching Axe.
But good news! The station reopened on 23 March 1974. It became part of the restored heritage railway. Now, trains travel south from here to Leicester North. The station buildings, the old signal box, and three original water tanks are all Grade II listed. This means they are important historic buildings that must be protected.
Exploring the Station: What You'll Find
Loughborough Central Station has many original features. These include waiting rooms for ladies and gentlemen, and a refreshment room. In 2009, new toilets were added. A lift was also installed to help disabled visitors move around easily.
The railway society has also added some fun new places. You can find a book and gift shop, a museum, and another shop called an emporium.
All the stations on the Great Central Railway are set in a specific time period. Loughborough Central takes you back to the 1950s! You'll see old British Railways posters and signs from that era. There's even a 1950s TV showing old transport films. You can also spot 1950s platform trolleys and bicycles.
The station is also the main control center for the heritage railway. The Duty Traffic Manager works from the Station Master's Office. They organize all the train movements on the line.
Loughborough Central on Screen
Because of its cool retro look, Loughborough Central Station has been in many films and TV shows. Some movies filmed here include Enigma, Shadowlands, and Cemetery Junction.
The station and the Great Central Railway line were also featured on BBC's Top Gear show. This happened in the 17th series, in an episode shown on 17 July 2011. They filmed a train versus car challenge here!
The Running Shed: Where Trains Rest and Get Fixed
If you walk along a fenced path next to the tracks, you can see the running shed. This is a big building where steam locomotives are stored and repaired. It's different from many other railways because you can often go inside. You can see many steam engines being worked on. Only one part of the shed is usually closed to the public.
There's a big project called the Loughborough Gap happening. This project will connect two parts of the Great Central Railway. Because of this, the current running shed will be taken down. A new, bigger shed will be built in its place. This new shed will have space for many more engines. The new area will also include a second carriage workshop and an education center for school groups.
