Leicester Great Central Station became an important point on the route between Marylebone and Manchester. The Great Central Railway's visionary founder, Sir Edward Watkin, also founded the original Channel Tunnel company 100 years ahead of its eventual completion! He opened the London to Manchester "Great Central" railway in 1899, hoping that it would eventually link to France. The railway closed in 1969, but in the 1980s, the section to the south of the city centre found a new lease of life as a cycleway and footway.
From 1954, the express engines were changed at Leicester depot. There was a strong sense of pride of the rail community living in the West End near the station including regular features of a railway community such as the "knocker up" waking the engine crews to light the fires etc for the days work on the engines.
The last express passed through Leicester Great Central Station on 2 January 1960, and the Leicester depot closed in 1964. The line continued to carry parcels and goods until if finally closed on 3 May 1969.
The line is now used as the Great Central Way footpath and cycleway.
Reference:
Mainline Lament: Colin Walker (Oxford Publishing, 1973)
The
Great Central Railway's website, apart from providing information on its services between Leicester North and Loughborough, has a page of
Links to many more pages about the railway and its history.
