The Great Central Railway has announced its 2026 plans for the reunification project.

The hope is to resume building work to rejoin the 500 metres of missing railway.

Following work in previous years, such as refurbishing the Grand Union canal bridge in 2019, they are now ready to move on to the next step.

A further 60 metres of new formation is planned for next year, which will see the line cross over a factory car park on a viaduct and over Railway Terrace road in Loughborough.

These next two sections are set to cost them £3.5 million, with £2.6 million already secured from fundraising and other supporters.

There is just £900,000 left to raise for them to complete this section, as all this money will go towards the building process, as the other necessary planning and groundwork is already complete.

As part of the project, they have carefully considered the canal and the nearby Hermitage Brook. While the nearby factory was a new challenge to consider, the brook is well established, and they have had to ensure that access remains possible for future environmental assessments.

A water table analysis (involving monitoring groundwater levels and how this may change in the future) and flood risk analysis for a 1 in 100-year event has also been carried out.

The brook has also impacted their overall design process; however, with these measures in place, the project should continue without issue from the water bodies.

They have also had to consider bin lorry access under the bridge, to ensure traffic can move freely in and out of the factory.

The Great Central Railway have begun asking for donations from supporters, which can be done online.

“Now we have planning consent to build all the remaining infrastructure needed to complete Reunification, we want to move forward with physical work. It shows everyone we mean business while ticking off more of the job and locking the funds we’ve raised into concrete. There is a little more work to do before we can begin, like the final design of the new structures but we are confident of starting to build the next sections in 2026, providing we can raise another £900,000.”

Malcolm Holmes, General Manager of the Great Central Railway