During the late-May Spring Bank Holiday, the Great Central Railway will run steam trains on the Mountsorrel branch line and trains through the night.
From Wednesday, 29th May to Sunday, 2nd June, for the first time in six years, steam trains will run along the Mountsorrel branch line.
Two-coach trains will be hauled along the branch by an austerity 0-6-0 tank locomotive top n'tailed with a class 10 0-6-0 diesel shunter.
Six trains a day will run from Rothley to both Nunckley Hill and Bond Lane stations on the branch, with train tickets also including admission to the Heritage Centre and Museum located at the former Nunckley Hill quarry.
These are two events designed to excite enthusiasts and families alike.
Malcolm Holmes, Great Central Railway General Manager
Both passenger and freight services will run all night on Saturday, 1st and Sunday, 2nd June.
This will be a first for the Great Central Railway, with trains running throughout the small hours and serving the railway's mainline stations.
Full details of the special events, train times, and booking details will be available in the next few days on the railway's website at https://www.gcrailway.co.uk/whatson2024/
The Great Central Railway is currently in the middle of one of the biggest projects in railway preservation in the UK.
This is a multi-million-pound project called ‘Reunification' to re-connect the Great Central Railway with the Great Central Railway (Nottingham) based at Ruddington in Nottingham, with three major parts of the project already completed.
These are two events designed to excite enthusiasts and families alike.
The Mountsorrel branch is totally different to our heritage main line and the loco will be working hard on the steep gradients. It's a long time since steam has shown the way on the branch and we're looking forward to seeing how the austerity performs. At the Mountsorrel heritage centre there's a narrow-gauge railway and fantastic exhibitions telling the story of the local area.
Meanwhile, who could resist the railways running through the night? Doze on our passenger trains or enjoy the rattle and clank of overnight freight and glowing signal lamps.
Malcolm Holmes, Great Central Railway General Manager
Overweight steam trains?