An ambitious bid to reunite the two ends of the Great Central Railway (GCR) has been formally submitted to planning bosses and could save under-threat jobs. The reunification project also aims to bring economic benefits to Leicestershire and beyond if approved.
The GCR scheme would see 18 miles of track centred on Loughborough and stretching from the north of Leicester to the south of Nottingham. A new viaduct would also feature as part of the project which first emerged in April.
The project would see the two ends joined up for the first time since 1969. Bosses at the Leicestershire heritage line have warned the next stages of the planning process could see costs soar to £500,000 though as they look to get the green light from officials.
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The original GCR ran from Sheffield to London and following its closure at the end of 1960s, sections of the track were removed. Since being revived as a heritage line, the Great Central Railway welcomes in hundreds of thousands of visitors a year, with bosses hopeful the reunification project can make attendances grow even further.
Earlier this year, the GCR team revealed they would have to cut jobs in a bid to save £250,000 – a move they said “couldn’t be avoided”. Despite that, they remain ambitious in securing the reunification project as the plans now lie with Charnwood Borough Council. If approved, GCR says industry jobs could be secured, but exact numbers are unclear.
GCR general manager Malcolm Holmes said: “Formally applying for planning consent is a huge milestone for this exciting project. It has required a lot of hard work and investment from our supporters and stakeholders.”
Three sections of the reunification have been completed so far, but this latest section, including the viaduct, is the biggest yet. Mr Holmes said that since being unveiled, the project has received £50,000 in donations from supporters, but more is needed to ensure engineering designs and specifications can be produced through the next stages of the planning process.
Mr Holmes said: “As always, we are hugely grateful and humbled by the generous donations we receive from around the world to advance the project. This next stage is crucial, so we’re now asking people to contact Charnwood Borough Council and support the planning application.”
If approved, the GCR team says the fully reunified line would also bring an economic boost to all parts of the line in Leicestershire. A decision will be made by planning officials at a later date.
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