Seeing as though this topic has been discussed on the CCAN thread I thought I'd make a thread about it.
Nottingham & Leicester both have lots of history in terms of Railway lines, stations and tunnels.

Post pictures you found, websites you've found etc etc.

Here is one that shows some of Nottingham's railway tunnels that are sadly either bricked up, not in use, or in a poor structural state.

http://www.leverton.org/tunnels/notts-gcr/index.html

http://www.gcrleicester.info/Old_Photographs/Nottingham/nottingham.html

Heres a website for Leicester (so they can join in too :))

http://www.gcrleicester.info/Old_Photographs/Leicester_Central/leicester_central.html

Looking at it both Nottingham and Leicester have similar stations in terms of design.

Pretty good picture of Victoria Station

http://www.railart.co.uk/gallery/lancaster4.html

This video is a first see for me. It seems the station put up a pretty good fight :)

bKbzSamVOmI

Another interesting video

erR-dpPGr5E

I cannot believe they knocked down victoria station.

Yes it's such a shame. On one of the websites it said something about the trains not running on time due to the layout and the tracks in the station (and the fact the tracks were old)
Whether that was due to the poor state of the railways (if they were poor) in the 60's is another story.

In my opinion knocking down Victoria station was nothing short of an act of vandalism, especially considering the hiddeous shopping centre that got put in its place.

I have a hope that if a new North-South high speed line ever gets built in this country there will be a chance to get rid the shopping centre and build a new Nottingham Victoria station with domestic and international plaforms. Probably wishful thinking, but a guy's allowed to dream.

It could never happen now on that site, the tunnel has been blocked off with a public building (CCAN) the viaduct (old and new) has been converted to light rail and building new bridges through the meadows would be no option at all because its a densly populated residential area.

Victoria station is history, one of the most dreadful things in Nottingham's demolition history. Just look at Virgin Active in the old London Road low level - amazing - people had no vision for reusing buildings back in the middle of the 20th century (60's?, 70's?), it's brilliant that our opinions have now largely changed, but these mistakes do sometimes still happen, which is a worry.

Just imagine if the Great Central Railway was getting closed now, Victoria station would probably be reused and imagine the shopping centre that could have been... so sad.

Victoria Station was a great loss for Nottingham...

In Leicester we have lost many train stations of importance.

West Bridge Station - opened in 1832 (Leicester/Swannington Railway - the second oldest train line in the world)

This is what is left

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2016/1916029029_28d15efaf6_o.jpg

Glenfield Tunnel was part of this rail line - over a mile long underground and still there...

Campbell Street Station - opened 1840. From here Thomas Cook invented the tourist industry. I can't find a picture on the 'net, but it was a fine old columned building.

NO PHOTO YET

Great Central Station - still largely intact and part of regeneration plans.

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2316/1916852718_7498e2cca1_o.jpg

There was a chamber underneath the Great Central Station, which housed an old mosaic pavement (in situ) from a Roman Villa. This is now at Jewry Wall Museum...

Belgrave Road Station - long gone

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2029/1916847824_8f5d3db8a8_o.jpg

So London Road Station is the only one we have left...

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2365/1917045480_21f89132ff_o.jpg

It shouldn't be too long before Leicester and Nottingham are connected by a steam railway. That is unique for two major UK cities...

http://www.bridgingthegap.org.uk/

Some photos of the Great Central Railway in Leicestershire, which goes through some magnificent countryside.

http://www.inloughborough.com/photopost/showgallery.php?thumbsonly=1&perpage=90&cat=563&ppuser=0&thumbcheck=1&page=1&sortby=&sorttime=0&way=&date=0

I'm well aware of the state of the Great Central Railway alignment and I think the tram will make very good use of it.

Nottingham is the principle city of the East Midlands, yet poorly served by rail in terms of journey times compared to cities with WCML and ECML connections so it would very likely be on a future high speed rail network. High speed rail has to access city centres to provide maximum benefits, but Nottingham Midland faces in the wrong direction and probably doesn't have enough capacity anyway.

Yes the challenge would be accessing the station from the south. I've always imagined a future High Speed 3 running London-Stanstead-Cambridge-Peterborough-Nottingham-Sheffield, so the GCR alignments would be in the wrong place anyway. The line would approach from the south east through the gap between Tollerton airfield and Holme Pierrepont, cross the Trent flood plain on a viaduct and enter Victoria via a new tunnel under the ice stadium.

Made sense in my mind anyway. Shame developments like ISIS riverside come along and spoil it for me...

I take it this would also be the part of the forum to discuss any NEW plans for East Midlands rail too?

Sorry. I'll put my hobbyhorse back in the cupboard. :horse:

Does anybody know if there's been any progress toward joining the two halves of the GCR recently? Their website seems to imply they've already started.

I think this website explains progress - should be great when we have a steam railway between the two cities...

http://www.bridgingthegap.org.uk/

I had to stop watching the video of the demolition of Nottingham Victoria, it just made me feel so sad. What were they thinking.

Such a shame - wish we still had all those railway lines/stations. They would offer a great alternative to the motor car!

I had to stop watching the video of the demolition of Nottingham Victoria, it just made me feel so sad. What were they thinking.

I felt exactly the same last night.

There was no major place in the UK where those old lines never went. Fortunately Leicester's Central station frontage survives as does the office buildings - both do look abit worse for ware though. They could still potentially be used for better things than a car workshop at thew moment.

[QUOTE=rs06;16361225]There was no major place in the UK where those old lines never went. QUOTE]

And the majority where paid for by the private sector. It makes you wonder why that is not possible anymore.

^^ Perhaps because most of the lines have now been ripped up. :ohno:

No i meant for the private sector to build new lines, and stations whether local like our Ivanhoe line (Leicester to Burton section) or highspeed accross the country.

I see. :)

Maybe because they can't mend the existing lines properly:lol:. But remember Network Rail owns the actual tracks and the train companies own the stations, etc. I don't think they work well with each other.

I see. :)

Maybe because they can't mend the existing lines properly:lol:. But remember Network Rail owns the actual tracks and the train companies own the stations, etc. I don't think they work well with each other.

I'm not really sure how we've managed to get in this system, when the government is pushing for free markets in all other sectors, e.g. Royal Mail, communication, bus transport etc.

I was too young to remember, but from what I've heard that when all tracks/stations, etc were owned by one company (pre privatisation 1996?), there were less problems.

The former leicester Central Station looks like the photo in the following link at the moment:ohno::

http://www.gcrleicester.info/

The former leicester Central Station looks like the photo in the following link at the moment:ohno::

http://www.gcrleicester.info/

even worse according to that site, they are demolishing viaducts just last month.

With each viaduct that goes, it makes it that much harder to one day rebuild this line.

Although I'm an optermist and I've seen canal restorations like the Huddersfield and Rochdale achieved even though right at the start they seemed lost causes.

Hi Zim

The viaduct demolition is at Upperton Road, which went over the Great Central line. Unfortunately, there are plans to demolish a Great Central line viaduct in the near future to build a swimming pool!

http://www.save-bowstringbridge.co.uk/photo_gallery/photo_gallery.htm

There is almost no chance at all of the government rebuilding the Great central line through Leicester. It would take too much hasle and there is currently another line running through the city anyway.

The most likely thing to happen, although unlikely in itself is for the GCR (tourist line) to be extended to the space centre. But even that would take a lot.

The only other use of the line would be perhaps in the future a Leicester Tram system using parts of the old Great Central. But the local council currently seems to show no interest in this.

I have hoped for many years that the old Great Central Station would become a tram network hub - using the old railway line as part of a network. It will never happen though...

Never is a long time. Who knows what will happen in the future!

I have hoped for many years that the old Great Central Station would become a tram network hub - using the old railway line as part of a network. It will never happen though...

I've been thinking that, and perhaps using parts of the Ivanhoe line as well.

Hope I'm wrong, but can you see our council getting us a tram network? Try to compile a list of great things this council has provided for the city in the last 50 years. Now make a list of facilities it has shut down and not replaced...

..

Labour in both cases I thought?

..

Hope I'm wrong, but can you see our council getting us a tram network? Try to compile a list of great things this council has provided for the city in the last 50 years. Now make a list of facilities it has shut down and not replaced...

That's true. It's worrying the lack of action over basic facilities that this council needs to replace - swimming pool, etc.

I don't think the old GCR lines will ever be used again, too much damage/demolishion has happened along the line to replace it. Perhaps utilising the space that is left would be better and building new bridges.

Crazy idea and I don't mean to put peoples ideas down.. but how about spending the money on something much more useful and needed things rather than a tram network?

I loved travelling on the GCR line from Leicester to Loughborough and back.. great memories. But imho this belongs to private investors and enthusiasts, not tax payers money.

I think private investors are more likely to take up such an opportunity as a tram network, if they can.

Some images with both Nottingham and Leicester.

http://images.google.co.uk/imgres?imgurl=http://www.gcrleicester.info/Old_Photographs/Trip_to_Nottingham___Rugby/87_25a.JPG&imgrefurl=http://www.gcrleicester.info/Old_Photographs/Trip_to_Nottingham___Rugby/trip_to_nottingham___rugby.html&h=324&w=500&sz=28&hl=en&start=122&um=1&tbnid=JxsfLBslflFcQM:&tbnh=84&tbnw=130&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dnottingham%2Broad%2Bsign%26start%3D108%26ndsp%3D18%26um%3D1%26hl%3Den%26rls%3DHPEB,HPEB:2006-39,HPEB:en%26sa%3DN

Derby Friargate, one of three Derby stations. Alot of it remains including Handyside's magnificent bridge over Friar Gate.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Derby_Friargate_railway_station

Derby Nottingham road. None of this remains as far as I know.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nottingham_Road_(Derby)_railway_station

Funnily enough I walked Bennerley Viaduct in Ilkeston yesterday, heres my report on Derelict places;
http://www.derelictplaces.co.uk/main/showthread.php?t=4662

here are some pics I thought folks might like to see

the old line through West Bridgford - Musters Road/Melton Road junctionhttp://i1152.photobucket.com/albums/p481/karate_kev/WestBridgford.jpg

the same line near Boundary Road (Green Line)
http://i1152.photobucket.com/albums/p481/karate_kev/edwalton56.jpg
http://i1152.photobucket.com/albums/p481/karate_kev/Edwalton.gif

^^ Thanks for those. I haven't been able to track down any photos of the railway section that is now the Green Line. The road I live on runs parallel to it. Me and my friends used to play on there before it became a nature trail and used to find all sorts of things related to its past.

The metal pins that held the track to the railway sleepers were a common find, loads of disused railway sleepers, bits of coal and even a newspaper from the 50's.

Where did the railway go once it reached Boundary road? Under a tunnel or a steep incline? It's quite an steep hill up to the road. I've always thought there was a tunnel there. There's a man made stream that runs from there down towards Melton Road, which suggests to me that it comes underground from the direction of Keyworth.

After Boundary Road, the route of the railway has become Edwalton Lodge Close where it's still recognizable as having been a railway cutting, before it reappears the other side of Melton Road. After the bridges over the Lings Bar Road and Melton Road, the beginning of the old British rail test track starts.

Thanks, Col. I've just had a look at the route via Google Maps satellite photos. It's very easy to see the clear route of the railway after Boundary Road and through to Keyworth. (In fact, I've just followed it all the way to Melton!)

^^ Thanks for those. I haven't been able to track down any photos of the railway section that is now the Green Line. The road I live on runs parallel to it. Me and my friends used to play on there before it became a nature trail and used to find all sorts of things related to its past.

The metal pins that held the track to the railway sleepers were a common find, loads of disused railway sleepers, bits of coal and even a newspaper from the 50's.

Where did the railway go once it reached Boundary road? Under a tunnel or a steep incline? It's quite an steep hill up to the road. I've always thought there was a tunnel there. There's a man made stream that runs from there down towards Melton Road, which suggests to me that it comes underground from the direction of Keyworth.

there's an old map I found from the 50's here but unfortunately it doesn't reach Boundary Road, interesting though to see how things used to shape up

http://i1152.photobucket.com/albums/p481/karate_kev/Nottingham-map.jpg

I have noticed comparing different photos of Leicester Central Station that the clock tower and the ornate structures above the arches have neen removed and replaced with a red brick wall. When? Why? and where have they gone?