A freight train on the Great Central near Braunston and Willoughby in 1958.
Overview
Status
Mostly closed
Locale
London, South East England, East Midlands, South Yorkshire, Manchester.
Termini
Marylebone station, London
Manchester London Road Station
Service
Type
Main Line
System
National Rail Network
History
Opened
1899
Closed
1966-1969
Technical
Number of tracks
Double
Track gauge
4 ft 8+1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge
Route map
Legend
Manchester Lines to Salford
Manchester Piccadilly
Ardwick
Ashburys
Gorton
Fairfield
Guide Bridge
Dukinfield Dog Lane
Newton for Hyde
Godley Toll Bar
Godley
Godley East
Hattersley
Broadbottom
Dinting
Glossop
Hadfield
Crowden
Woodhead
Dunford Bridge
Hazlehead Bridge
Penistone Line
Penistone
Penistone Line
Oxspring
Thurgoland
Wortley
Stocksbridge Railway
Deepcar
Oughty Bridge
Wadsley Bridge
Neepsend
Bridgehouses
Sheffield Victoria
Midland Main Line
Nunnery Junction
Woodburn Junction
Darnall
Woodhouse
Woodhouse Junction
to Worksop
Beighton
Beighton level crossing
Beighton Junction
Midland Main Line
to Midland Main Line (Old Road)
Lancs, Derbyshire & East Coast Railway
to Shirebrook North
Killamarsh Central
Renishaw Central
Staveley Central
Staveley Works
Sheepbridge and Brimington
Chesterfield Central
Duckmanton Junction
Lancs, Derbyshire & East Coast Railway
Grassmoor
Heath
Pilsley
Tibshelf Town
Kirkby Bentinck
Robin Hood Line
to Worksop
Robin Hood Line
to Nottingham Midland
Hollin Well and Annesley
Annesley South Junction Halt
Hucknall Central
Bulwell Hall Halt
Bulwell Common
New Basford
Carrington
Nottingham Victoria
Nottingham Arkwright Street
Ruddington
Ruddington North Junction
Nottingham Transport
Heritage Centre
Gotham Sidings
Gotham Branch Line
Rushcliffe Halt
East Leake
Loughborough North Junction
Loughborough Central
Quorn and Woodhouse
Mountsorrel Railway
Swithland Sidings
Rothley
Belgrave and Birstall
Leicester North
Leicester Central
Whetstone
Midland Counties Railway
Ashby Magna
Lutterworth
West Coast Main Line
Rugby Central
Braunston and Willoughby
Leamington–Weedon line (LNWR)
Charwelton
Woodford Halse
Stratford-upon-Avon and
Midland Junction Railway
Eydon Road Halt
Chalcombe Road Halt
Chiltern Main Line
Culworth
Chiltern Main Line
Towcester–Banbury line
Helmdon
Brackley Central
Brackley
Buckinghamshire Railway
Finmere
Varsity Line (freight)
Calvert
Calvert Waste Facility
Grendon Underwood Junction
Brill Tramway and Metropolitan Railway
Quainton Road
Waddesdon Manor
Aylesbury Vale Parkway
Aylesbury
Princes Risborough–
Aylesbury line
(GWR)
Stoke Mandeville
Wendover
Great Missenden
Amersham
Chalfont & Latimer
Chorleywood
Rickmansworth
Harrow-on-the-Hill
Chiltern Main Line
Neasden Junction
Dudding Hill Line
Marylebone Goods Terminal
London Marylebone
detailed diagram
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The Great Central Main Line (GCML), also known as the London Extension of the Manchester, Sheffield and Lincolnshire Railway (MS&LR), is a former railway line in the United Kingdom. The line was opened in 1899 and built by the Great Central Railway running from Sheffield in the North of England, southwards through Nottingham and Leicester to Marylebone in London.
The GCML was the last main line railway to be built in Britain during the Victorian period. It was built by the railway entrepreneur Edward Watkin with the aim to run as a fast trunk route from the North and the East Midlands to London and the south of England. Initially not a financial success, it recovered under the leadership of Sam Fay. Although initially planned for long-distance passenger services, in practice the line's most important function became to carry goods traffic, notably coal.
In the 1960s, the line was considered by Dr Beeching as an unnecessary duplication of other lines that served the same places, especially the Midland Main Line and to a lesser extent the West Coast Main Line. Most of the route was closed between 1966 and 1969 under the Beeching axe.
Parts of the former main line have been preserved as the Great Central Railway between Leicester and Loughborough, and the Great Central Railway (Nottingham) between Loughborough South Junction and Ruddington's former GCR station site.
At the end of the 20th century and in the 21st century, the line has been subject to a range of proposals for its use and reuse.
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