Huge milestone in bid to reunite heritage railways

Work is under way to try and reunify the two sections of the railway

Plans to reunite two halves of a heritage railway have taken a step forward as formal plans were submitted.

The Great Central Railway (GCR) has submitted a planning application to Charnwood Borough Council for the 18-mile reunification scheme.

Two sections of the track line - one at Ruddington, Nottinghamshire, and an eight-mile section between Loughborough and Birstall - would be connected.

Railway bosses say the submission, which includes the provision for a viaduct, is "a huge milestone" for the project.

An artist's impression of the new urban viaduct section

Three parts of the scheme have already been completed, however, to build more of the scheme, planning permission is required.

General manager of the GCR, Malcolm Holmes, said: “As always, we are hugely grateful and humbled by the generous donations we receive from around the world to advance the project.

"This next stage is crucial, so we’re now asking people to contact Charnwood Borough Council and support the planning application.”

Since announcing new plans for the proposed railway link in April, an additional £50,000 has been raised by supporters towards the next phase of work.

Plans now need to be turned into engineering designs and specifications, which is likely to cost in the region of half a million pounds, the GCR said.

Mr Holmes added: “Formally applying for planning consent is a huge milestone for this exciting project. It has required a lot of hard work and investment from our supporters and stakeholders."

Follow BBC Leicester on Facebook, on X, or on Instagram. Send your story ideas to [e-mail] or via WhatsApp on 0808 100 2210.