Great Central Railway Experiences

The heritage railway is located in Leicestershire, in the East Midlands. The northern terminus and main administrative headquarters is a Loughborough Central Station, with the line running south towards Leicester through the Charnwood countryside. 

No, they are two separate train stations. Loughborough Mainline Station is the national network train station served by East Midlands Railway services on the Midland Main Line. Loughborough Central Station is in a different area of the town and is home to the Great Central Railway.

The GCR is the UK's only double-track, mainline heritage railway. That means this is the only place in the country you can see full-size steam trains and diesel locomotives passing each other at speed, exactly as they would have done during the golden age of train travel!

The current Great Central Railway runs for around 8 miles, with a short 1.5-mile branch line from Swithland Sidings to Mountsorrel.

There are currently four stations on the Great Central Railway line. Starting with the northern terminal in Loughborough, boasting 1950s British Railway main line atmosphere. Then it's Quorn & Woodhouse, for a 1940s feel. Moving south, you will arrive at Rothley, the elegant Edwardian station, to the 1950s-styled terminus at Leicester North in Birstall.

A Runabout ticket gives visitors unlimited, all-day, hop-on, hop-off travel along the entire line to board trains at any station, travelling on any scheduled service. You can spend as much time as you like at each stop, exploring the shops, station cafes, museums, workshops and loco sheds.

Yes! The GCR runs several steam train dining services throughout the week and weekends. From a mid-week luncheon onboard the Rothley Rose, to Sunday lunch on the Carolean, there are options for lunch and dinner as you ride in luxury, steam-hauled dining carriages.

Yes you can! The Great Central offers various experiences to drive diesel locomotives and steam trains over a 16-mile round trip They do get booked up very quickly, so make sure you book well in advance.

The railway organised heritage days and themed events throughout the year. There are murder mystery evenings, 1940s gala weekends, classic transport rallies and festive Santa Express trains and lots more besides!

Loughborough is where many of the dining services originate and terminate. There's lots to explore with a museum, platform cafe and bar, waiting rooms, toilets and access to see inside the loco shed and engine yard.

If you are visiting for a dining service departing and returning to Loughborough, it's worth noting there is only on-street parking around the station (but it is free). Other options include taxi, on foot from the town centre, or even using your day ticket (included in dining options) to get the train from another GCR station (please be aware of timetables and timings to be able to get back). The largest, free parking is at Quorn Station and there is also a free parking area at Rothley. There is limited parking at Leicester North and places tend to fill up quickly.

Yes. There are heritage passenger trains running every weekend of the year at the Great Central Railway. Selected services also run on weekdays during school holidays, major seasonal events and dining experiences. You may also see non-passenger service locomotives running with or without carriages for driving experiences.