48-720: Tyseley Locomotive Works , formerly the Birmingham Railway Museum , is the engineering arm of steam railtour promoter Vintage Trains based in Birmingham , England . It occupies part of the former Great Western Railway 's Tyseley depot , built in 1908 to accommodate expanding operations in the West Midlands, particularly the opening of the North Warwickshire Line as a new main line from Birmingham to Bristol . As well as supporting
96-562: A 15 mph maximum speed to the south of the station, as well as the size and importance of the city, all passenger trains stop at the station. Up until the winter 2008 timetable, the morning southbound The Master Cutler express from Leeds to London St Pancras was an exception although it eventually called here prior to the service ending. Leicester is a bottleneck station as it has only four platforms. All platforms are well utilised, especially platforms two and three which receive freight as well as passenger trains. A freight loop goes to
144-663: A design by the architect Charles Trubshaw . The new booking office was opened by the mayor in June 1892 when it was renamed Leicester London Road. The station was completed in 1894. The frontage on London Road featured four entrance archways. Above each of the left-hand pair the word "Departure" was inscribed and, above each of the other two, the word "Arrival" was carved in relief. These signs were to assist cab drivers when dropping passengers who intended to catch departing trains, or were plying for hire by passengers who had arrived by train. The new station frontage on London Road remains as
192-526: A licensed restaurant. There are also toilets and a large waiting room. Midland Mainline erected a first class lounge at the southern end of the up island platforms during 2000. Passenger information systems were updated at the same time and now use dot matrix display screens. Leicester has automated announcements, which replaced the previous manual public address system in September 2011. In 2006, automatic ticket barriers were installed on all approaches to
240-488: A new business quarter. Plans for the station included to rotate the passengers facilities so that they exited into a new open city plaza rather than the current busy ring road. Renewed plans were released in 2008 for the £150 million redevelopment, promising over 2,800 new jobs in the area due to the new shops and offices which would be created. However, the 2008–2012 global recession also saw these plans fail to materialise. Network Rail and East Midlands Trains started work on
288-622: A rolling programme of electrification. It stated the Midland Main Line project would be divided into eight sections. Modern Railways confirmed that the project would continue north of Market Harborough all the way to Leicester and Sheffield . Another major development was the publishing of the Integrated Rail Plan (IRP) on 18 November 2021. This included full Midland Main Line electrification and upgrades. F2N
336-800: A round trip journey travelling via Stratford upon Avon and Birmingham Snow Hill, this was discontinued at the end of the 2021 season. It was also announced in October 2023 that 2024's programme of "Shakespeare Express" trains will be expanded to include additional departures from Derby , Worcester and Leicester on individual trips alongside the regular trips from Birmingham. The Worcester departures are also expected to include steam haulage up Lickey Incline . In May 2012, Vintage Trains ran their first multiday trip called "Castle to Scotland" and ran over three days from Sat 26 May to Mon 28 May with 5043 Earl of Mount Edgcumbe . Sun 27 May included an optional trip from Linlithgow to Stirling . A second multiday trip
384-416: A second platform had been built to handle southbound traffic, so leaving the original platform to handle northbound traffic. In 1868, it was decided to turn the southbound platform into an island platform to further increase capacity, but this was not possible with the northbound platform due to the presence of the main buildings and station entrance. Further expansion was contemplated for some time, but it
432-471: A train of four first and six second-class carriages, pulled by the Leopard steam engine, arrived from Nottingham. As was normal in those days with a through station, the original plan was to build it to the side of the main line, but instead it was finally built on the main line with a single platform 165 yards long to handle both northbound and southbound trains. The station was designed by William Parsons in
480-465: A well-preserved late Victorian building, but the interior of the booking hall and the structures on the platforms were reconstructed by Sir Robert McAlpine in 1978. The station clock is the only hand-wound station clock in the UK. A commemorative statue of Thomas Cook was placed on the pavement outside the present station in 1991 to mark the first excursions arranged by the travel agency magnate. It
528-471: A £3.5 million scheme in 2012. Platforms have been resurfaced, toilets and both first and standard class waiting areas refurbished. The majority of work has taken place in the concourse and porte corche area where a new travel centre is being provided. Network Rail adopted a Route Utilisation Strategy for freight in 2007 which will create a new cross country freight route from Peterborough ( East Coast Main Line ) to Nuneaton ( West Coast Main Line ). One of
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#1732780464599576-458: Is 99 miles 7 chains (159.5 km) north of London St Pancras. The first station on the site opened on 5 May 1840. It was originally known simply as Leicester, becoming Leicester Campbell Street on 1 June 1867, and Leicester London Road from 12 June 1892. This was replaced in 1894 by a new station, also called Leicester London Road but usually referred to as the "Midland Station" to differentiate from Leicester Central station. Following
624-621: Is a charitably-controlled train operating company based at Tyseley Locomotive Works which provides heritage railtours in the United Kingdom. Vintage Trains comprises: Vintage Trains has a volunteer-run support organisation, the Friends of Vintage Trains. Vintage Trains operates many steam and diesel locomotives on its mainline railtours . Locomotives listed here are not all owned by Tyseley Locomotive Works as some are owned by private societies, but are made available to operate on
672-422: Is not all owned by Tyseley Locomotive Works as some is owned by private societies, but is made available to operate on the mainline by their respective owners (assuming they have the appropriate mainline certification). Until late 2017, Vintage Trains operated its railtours with West Coast Railways providing the crews, WCRC being the only charter operator available who would operate vacuum braked trains as none of
720-687: Is served by CrossCountry and East Midlands Railway services. It is the busiest station in Leicestershire, the second busiest station in the East Midlands , and the fifth busiest station in the Midlands as a whole. Leicester station was opened in 1840 by the Midland Counties Railway and rebuilt in 1894 and 1978. It is on the Midland Main Line , which runs from London St Pancras to Sheffield and Nottingham . It
768-460: Is still being upgraded in stages. After phase one of the Ivanhoe Line was completed in the mid-1990s, it was originally planned that phase two would extend the line west to Burton upon Trent on the current freight-only line via Coalville and Ashby-de-la-Zouch . The possibility was studied in 2008 and again in 2016 but in both cases the conclusion was that the cost was not justified by
816-591: The Castle Class in 1923. In connection to an event taking place at Didcot Railway Centre involving resident engines 4079 Pendennis Castle and 5051 Drysllwyn Castle on Sat 4 March 2023, 5043 Earl of Mount Edgcumbe and 7029 Clun Castle double headed a Shareholder special from Birmingham Moor Street to Didcot Parkway in connection with the event. Following arrival at Didcot both engines were placed on display alongside classmates 4079 Pendennis Castle and 5051 Drysllwyn Castle. 7029 acted as pilot engine to 5043 for
864-705: The Great Northern Railway ) closed to passengers in 1962 and Leicester Central (on the Great Central Railway ) closed in May 1969. From 1892 up until this time, the current Leicester station was known as Leicester London Road . In addition, there were smaller stations within the city boundary at Humberstone Road on the LMS, Humberstone on the GNR, and, from 1874 until 1918, a halt at Welford Road
912-538: The Office of Rail & Road to operate trains in its own right. To come up with the £800,000 required for the licence, a share float was launched with Adrian Shooter named as chairman. Vintage Trains Community Benefit Society was set up in late 2017 as a publicly owned company and in order to fund the company began recruiting members of the public to become shareholders in the company by purchasing shares (minimum available for purchase being £500 per share). The licence
960-459: The east-west cross country route , going east to Peterborough , Cambridge and Stansted Airport ; and west to Nuneaton and Birmingham New Street . Leicester station is owned by Network Rail and operated under a franchise by East Midlands Railway . Most services are provided by East Midlands Railway, with CrossCountry operating on the Birmingham to Stansted Airport corridor. Due to
1008-403: The recession . This concourse gives access to the main station overbridge to all platforms, and via a corridor to the lifts. There is a footbridge at the northern end of the station giving access to the long-stay car park and Campbell Street. The station is based on two island platforms which are wide with a long series of buildings. There is a newsagent and several food outlets including
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#17327804645991056-737: The Grecian Revival style, with a two-storey main building which was embellished with a central pediment set forward on fluted columns in front. This was flanked by short single-storey wings. It was the headquarters of the Midland Counties Railway until that railway was amalgamated into the Midland Railway in 1844. Upstairs were the company offices and boardroom, while downstairs was the booking hall, waiting and refreshment rooms. The opening of new routes to Leicester led to steadily increasing traffic and, by 1858,
1104-505: The Shakespeare Line. A small museum is also being considered. As of October 2023, Vintage Trains still operate their "Shakespeare Express" trains between Birmingham Snow Hill and Stratford-upon-Avon on select Sunday's throughout the year. Pickups are offered at: Birmingham Snow Hill, Birmingham Moor Street & Tyseley alongside Stratford-upon-Avon. From 2007 an additional stop was made at Henley-in-Arden to offer passengers
1152-461: The closure of Leicester Central on 5 May 1969, this station was renamed Leicester. Besides London Road and Central, the city of Leicester was served by Belgrave Road , Humberstone Road and West Bridge railway stations . Leicester was one of the first cities (though then a town) to be served by a railway, when the Leicester and Swannington Railway built its terminus station at West Bridge on
1200-437: The day-to-day operation was contracted out to the largest user of the station, in this case Midland Mainline . Midland Mainline continued to refurbish the station with the installation of a large electronic departure board in the station entrance hall and smaller boards on all platforms. In 2006, work was started on the installation of automatic ticket gates to cut down on fare evasion . Leicester City Council issued plans for
1248-661: The decade starting 2020 various events changed the prospects for the station even though improvements had been on and off the political agenda for over a decade. Various news outlets reported in December 2020 that prospects for electrification to Market Harborough were improving. On 23 March 2021, the Transport Select Committee published its sixth report in the Trains fit for the Future enquiry, which called for
1296-585: The east of the station alongside the carriage sidings which run adjacent to platform four. Leicester is a penalty fare station, a valid ticket or permit to travel must be shown when requested. The station offers the Plusbus scheme which allows bus and train tickets to be bought together at a saving. Leicester has had direct services in the past to destinations as varied as Liverpool Lime Street , Manchester Piccadilly , Leeds , York , Scarborough , Norwich , Coventry and Abersytwyth . However, changes to
1344-680: The end of 2024. The engines boiler is due to be assessed in 2024 to ascertain how much it will cost to overhaul. Returned to mainline on 15 Jan 2019. Loco numbers in bold mean their current number. Also, in previous years, Vintage Trains has operated charters using electric and diesel traction that has not already been mentioned above, now back at other locations, including Class 86 86259 Les Ross , Class 47 47580 County of Essex , Class 50 50049 Defiance , Class 50 50007 Hercules and Class 20 20007. The company has also used various other diesels, such as West Coast Railways ' own Class 33 and Class 47 diesels. Rolling stock listed here
1392-435: The engines based at Tyseley are fitted with air brakes. But from 2018, it was announced that due to a falling number of crews being available, WCR said they were unable to provide footplate crews to operate VT's trains and as a result of this, the early 2018 railtour programme which had been planned including the planned debut run of 7029 Clun Castle had to be cancelled. In late 2016, Vintage Trains lodged an application with
1440-694: The journey to Didcot & 5043 piloted 7029 on the journey back to Birmingham. This trip was also the first time in preservation that the two surviving double chimney castles had double headed together. Both engines would also double head a second railtour on Sat 10 June 2023 from Birmingham to Hereford called "The Castle Centenarian", 5043 once again piloted 7029 for the trip. Four round trips are run per day which take place every Friday to Sunday in November and December. 52°27′16″N 1°50′44″W / 52.4544°N 1.8455°W / 52.4544; -1.8455 Vintage Trains Vintage Trains
1488-501: The mainline by their respective owners (assuming they have the appropriate mainline certification). All engines used on VT's tours are operated under vacuum braking, engines which do have dual/air braking fitted can be used on VT tours but only operated under vacuum braking. Overhaul due to commence in March 2024 with conversion from coal to oil-burning being undertook. 5080's tender is undergoing overhaul with completion expected before
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1536-765: The next stages (around 2013) will create additional lines through Leicester during a re-signalling scheme. During this period additional platforms may be provided at Leicester. As of 2022 the railway through Leicester is not electrified. Plans to carry out full electrification of the Midland Mainline were paused on 20 July 2017, after being previously announced, commenced, suspended and resumed. From 2024, services will be operated using bi-mode electro-diesel trains running in electro-pantograph mode between London St Pancras and Wigston, just 4 miles (6,5 km) south of Leicester railway station switching to electro-accumulator/diesel-electric mode northwards from there. In
1584-403: The rail franchises and the unprofitability of some routes have led to many curtailments over the years. Monday to Friday off-peak service patterns as of June 2024 in trains per hour (tph) and trains per day (tpd): East Midlands Railway: CrossCountry: Prospect Leicestershire led plans which aimed to regenerate the city centre area of Leicester, the station was to be incorporated into
1632-431: The redevelopment of the station and the surrounding area including a total of eight platforms. Re-surfacing of the platforms took place throughout 2010. The main entrance to the station is on London Road. The ticket office and travel centre are located in the concourse ; the lost property office and lockers were formerly located here also although East Midlands Trains took these facilities away in 2009 citing cost and
1680-582: The site of the former GWR depot, and formed 7029 Clun Castle Ltd to own both the locomotive and the rights to stable it at the depot. In October 1968, 7029 Clun Castle Ltd purchased LMS Jubilee Class No.5593 "Kolhapur" . With further locomotives and railway artefacts available as a result of the Beeching Axe , the supporters established the Standard Gauge Steam Trust as a registered educational charity, to preserve and demonstrate
1728-495: The site. In 1968 the old coaling stage was converted into a two-road shed with an inspection pit to hold both acquired locomotives. In November 1966 Clun Castle was stripped and restored. In 1999 the trust achieved its long-held objective of running a regular steam train service on the national main line railway network: the Shakespeare Express between Birmingham Snow Hill and Stratford-upon-Avon . At this point
1776-492: The station. The station has an office for the British Transport Police and Cash point in the porte-cochere as well as a taxi rank and short-stay drop-off and pick-up area. Routes run north–south through Leicester on the Midland Main Line , south to Kettering , Bedford , Luton and London ; and north to Derby , Nottingham , Lincoln and Sheffield . Junctions north and south of the station serve
1824-553: The steam locomotives. Following negotiations the trust acquired a long-term lease on a large part of the Tyseley site, and established the Tyseley Collection which still owns the locomotives and artefacts via the limited company; the depot site became the "Birmingham Railway Museum". The trust cleared buildings and repaired the dilapidated tracks, and two water columns were repaired to allow steam locomotives to stay at
1872-484: The trust felt that the term museum was inappropriate for its new status, and hence separated its assets and operations into two new organisations, Tyseley Locomotive Works and the operating arm Vintage Trains , with the third arm remaining the Tyseley Collection. Since then, the restoration of the locomotives has been an ongoing process with a high level of craftsmanship. As part of its educational programme
1920-514: The trust's operating wing Vintage Trains , it is home to an extensive collection of steam engines, from small industrial builds to Great Western Railway 'Castles' and 'Halls', and large ex-mainline diesel engines. Following the purchase of GWR Castle Class No.7029 Clun Castle in January 1966 by Patrick Whitehouse , the locomotive needed a base close to its central West Midlands supporters' base. Whitehouse found space available at Tyseley , on
1968-488: The trust's operational arm Vintage Trains runs the Shakespeare Express between Birmingham Snow Hill and Stratford-upon-Avon . In October 2004 the trust announced the acquisition of a site adjacent to Stratford-upon-Avon railway station for future use as the Stratford Railway Tourist Centre and Steam Locomotive Centre. This will provide a steam loco servicing centre at the southern end of
Tyseley Locomotive Works - Misplaced Pages Continue
2016-426: The western side of Leicester in 1832. The Leicester and Swannington Railway was later absorbed by the Midland Railway . In total, Leicester had seven railway stations (eight if the two sites at West Bridge are treated separately). In addition to the current Leicester station, three other main railway stations existed. The original station at West Bridge closed to passengers in 1928. Leicester Belgrave Road (on
2064-508: Was granted with its first train being a test of a Class 230 between Bedford and Bletchley on 27 September 2018 for Vivarail . Leicester railway station Leicester railway station (formerly Leicester Campbell Street and Leicester London Road ) is a mainline railway station in the city of Leicester in Leicestershire , England. The station is managed by East Midlands Railway and owned by Network Rail . The station
2112-561: Was introduced in the 1980s, the station was served by the InterCity sector until the privatisation of British Railways . With the advent of power signalling in 1986, the signal box and the crossovers disappeared, and the tracks approaching the station were relaid to allow trains from any direction to enter or leave any platform. Upon the privatisation of British Rail , the station became owned by Railtrack and later Network Rail ; however, in common with most British railway stations,
2160-431: Was not until 1890 that the go ahead was given for Campbell Street station to be replaced by the present Leicester railway station . All that remains of the first station is a pair of gateposts in an Egyptian style at the end of Station Street. The offices for Royal Mail now occupy some of the site of the old station buildings on Campbell Street. The Midland Railway completely rebuilt the station between 1892 and 1894 to
2208-524: Was operated on the Leicester – London main line allowing access to the Cattle Market. At this halt, passengers were allowed to leave the trains but not to board them. The contract for the first station on the present site was awarded by the Midland Counties Railway to Waterfield and Smith, and was just under £15,000 (equivalent to £1,710,700 in 2023). It was first used on 4 May 1840, when
2256-407: Was planned for Fri 10 May to Sat 11 May 2024 to mark the 60th anniversary for 1Z48 and planned to involve 7029 Clun Castle . For Friday the trip is planned to run from Birmingham to Plymouth travelling via Oxford and Bristol and for Saturday the tour is planned to return from Plymouth to Birmingham travelling via London Paddington . 2023 marked the 100th anniversary since the introduction of
2304-766: Was sculpted by James Butler . Until the line from Matlock to Chinley through Millers Dale was closed by the Beeching cuts , the 'main lines' were those from London to Manchester, carrying named expresses such as The Palatine . Express trains to Leeds and Scotland such as the Thames-Clyde Express tended to use the Erewash Valley Line before proceeding on to the Settle and Carlisle Line . Expresses to Edinburgh , such as The Waverley travelled through Corby and Nottingham. When sectorisation
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