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The Nottingham side of the Great Central Railway – working together with our Leicestershire partners to reunite the line
We are the Nottingham side of the Great Central Railway. Along with our partners at GCR in Leicestershire, we're working on the most exciting railway project in UK preservation – reconnecting the two halves of the historic Great Central Railway.
Here at Great Central Railway (Nottingham), we operate the northern section of the line, running heritage trains from our base at Ruddington. Our partner, GCR, operates the southern section in Leicestershire. Between us lies just 500 metres of missing track – and that's what we're rebuilding together.
By reconnecting these two sections, we'll create an eighteen-mile heritage line that will power the East Midlands tourism economy and be a national showcase for Britain's railway story. It will also give us a connection to the national railway network, meaning charter trains can reach Nottingham, and we'll be able to expand our railway testing, training and filming work.
This is happening! Together with GCR, we've already completed three parts of this multimillion-pound project and have planning consent to finish the rest. In 2026 we hope to build two more sections provided we can raise the funds. It's the ultimate people power project – and every donation, whether given to us here at GCRN or to our partners at GCR, goes into the same pot to make reunification a reality.
Here at Great Central Railway (Nottingham), we're based at Ruddington Fields Station in Nottinghamshire. We run heritage steam and diesel trains on the northern section of the historic Great Central Railway. Our partners at GCR operate the southern section in Leicestershire from Loughborough.
When the original Great Central Railway was closed in the 1960s, 500 metres of track connecting our two sections was destroyed. To reunite the railway, we need to rebuild bridges and embankments and relay track at Loughborough. It's a multimillion-pound undertaking, but with your help we're making it happen.
Working alongside GCR, we've already raised and spent millions of pounds and completed three major parts of the project, including an impressive new bridge over the four tracks of Midland Main Line at Loughborough. This partnership approach means all donations – whether given to GCRN or GCR – go into the same reunification fund.
When complete, the reunified railway will be a thrilling heritage attraction bringing visitors from around the world to Nottinghamshire and Leicestershire. It will tell the story of Britain's railways through the decades, right here in the East Midlands. For us at GCRN, it means:
It's a great social enterprise, connecting communities across the East Midlands and providing camaraderie for thousands of volunteers on both sides of the gap.
Here at GCRN, we're proud to be part of this joint effort with our partners at GCR in Leicestershire. All fundraising for reunification goes into the same pot – whether you donate through us or through GCR, every pound goes directly towards rebuilding the missing 500 metres and reuniting the two railways.
It's easy to donate. You can make a one-off donation online, or set up a regular monthly contribution through the GCR donation page. If you prefer, you can download the appeal leaflet for postal donation details. Just a few pounds every month soon adds up to a generous gift, and regular income gives other potential funders confidence in our plans.
For text donation terms see: platform.nationalfundingscheme.org/terms-and-conditions
Thank you for your support. Every pound matters and makes a difference. Together – GCRN, GCR, and supporters like you – we're making reunification happen.
