All standard delivery orders placed before 4pm on weekdays will be dispatched on the same day via Royal Mail

All weekday tracked orders placed before 2pm on weekdays will be dispatched on the same day via APC or Royal Mail (depending on location).

All Saturday Special Delivery orders placed before 4pm on Fridays will be guaranteed for Saturday delivery via Royal Mail

Delivery Type	Delivery Time	Price
E Voucher	Instant	Free
Standard Delivery	1st Class Royal Mail Post	£3.95
Weekday Tracked Courier (APC or Royal Mail)	Guaranteed next working day before 4pm*	£8.99
Saturday Special Delivery (Royal Mail)	Guaranteed delivery on Saturdays	£15.50

* Next working day applies to Mainland England & Wales (Scotland & Northern Ireland 2-5 days)

Delivery Type	Details	Cut Off	Delivery Time	Price
Evoucher	Sent straight to your inbox along with a separate email receipt to confirm your order.	None	Instantaneous	Free
Standard Delivery (Royal Mail)	UK Only. Despatched by Royal Mail first class post on the same day. Excludes Weekends & Bank Holidays.	Order by 4pm for same day dispatch	Estimated 2-3 days	£3.95
Weekday Tracked Courier (APC or Royal Mail)	Signature required upon receipt. Orders received before 2pm on Fridays will be delivered the following Monday. Excludes Weekends & Bank Holidays. Orders dispatched via APC or Royal Mail depending on location. Includes online live tracking and 2-hour delivery window which is amendable	Order by 2pm for same day dispatch	Guaranteed next working day before 4pm	£8.99
Saturday Special Delivery (Royal Mail)	Guaranteed UK Saturday delivery. Excludes Bank Holidays. Signature required upon receipt. Valid for orders received by 4pm on Fridays. Includes online tracking and electronic proof of delivery. If nobody is available when your parcel is delivered and there isn't a safe place to leave the parcel, the delivery driver will leave a calling card with instructions on how to rearrange delivery.	Order by 4pm on Fridays	Saturdays Only	£15.50

Extra 20% off gifts under £250 today! Use code SUMMER20 - T&Cs apply

Great Central Railway Family Explorer Tickets

Loughborough Central Station, Leicestershire

A fun day of train rides & exploring
At the Great Central Heritage Railway
Follow your Explorer itinerary
Get your Explorer Badge & membership

Choose Your Experience:

Child Ticket (Ages 4-15)
GCREX1 £ 5.00

Adult Ticket (16+)
GCREX2 £ 25.00

What's Included

Enjoy an amazing family day out at the Great Central Railway
Receive a personalised pack upon arrival with a detailed itinerary suggesting what time you get a train, where to get on and off and what to look for at each station
Every child ticket includes a special Explorer Pack, packed with fun facts, engaging activities, and station-by-station challenges
Get your activity pack stamped at each station and earn a special Explorer Badge at the end of your visit!

Loughborough Central Station

Loughborough is the main station on the line and the Locomotive Shed is based there
It has the atmosphere of a busy main line station
A buffet is on the platform and is open during running days

Quorn & Woodhouse Station

Quorn is a country station with a large open station yard used as a base for many of the railway's events
The Butler Henderson Cafe Bistro is here - a great stop for lunch!

Rothley Station

The enclosed station yard giving the real atmosphere of a country station
The Charnwood Forest Garden Railway and the Carriage and Wagon Works are based here along with the Ellis's Tea Room

Leicester North Station

Leicester North is a restored station built just south of the original Belgrave & Birstall station

What Can I Expect

Get the best out of your visit with the Great Central Railway Family Explorer tickets! A perfectly planned itinerary awaits in the form of the GCR Explorer Pack, which features your suggested travel plans and an activity pack. With these Explorer Tickets it’s a case of less time studying the timetable and more time to ride!

You collect your Explorer pack at your starting train station, where your Explorer Host will be on hand to welcome you to the Great Central Railway and explain your day. After watching an introductory video, you’re ready to explore this wonderful heritage railway.

In essence, this planned timetable gives you time to discover each of the four stations stops on the line, as well as travelling on various trains from the GCR’s vintage steam and diesel fleet. There’s even time for lunch built into the programme too!

The activity pack features fun facts and pointers for things to see, such as the parcels office hidden under the stairs at Rothley, the NAAFI tea room at Quorn & Woodhouse Station, as well as tips like hopping off the train in Leicester North to watch the locomotive ‘run around’.

Make sure you get your Explorer Activity Pack stamped at each station, to earn your Explorer Badge and become a member of the Explorer Club, which gives you exclusives on things like special running days, steam events and themed experiences too.

What we love about the Great Central Railway Explorer is that they really do let the train take the strain, making sure you get to ride lots of steam and diesel trains and discover each station, without missing a thing!