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Nottingham to Rugby shuttle on Great Central route

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trebor79

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It's common knowledge that when the majority of the GC closed, a DMU shuttle ran for a few years between Nottingham Arkwright Street and Rugby Central.

I find this curious and never been able to find any explanation at to why?
What was the point of running a skeleton service between 2 termini that weren't particularly close to the town centre, had no connecting services and calling only at 2 intermediate stations in towns with better services at their ex-Midland Railway stations?

What was the rational behind this decision and was activa surprised when it all stopped?
 
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Merthyr Imp

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There's some information in the book 'Echoes of the Great Central by John M. C. Healy published in 1987.

The trains did also serve three places which were not otherwise rail connected and was described as a commuter service as it called at East Leake, enabling passengers from there to travel to Nottingham, Loughborough and Leicester, and also Ashby Magna and Lutterworth for people travelling to Leicester and Rugby.

Also, it provided a direct link between Leicester and Rugby as opposed to going round by Nuneaton, although it's interesting no mention was made of doing that in the closure notices which just mentioned an alternative bus service.

Arkwright Street station was used at the Nottingham end as there was a haste to get rid of Victoria station so that work could start on the redevelopment of the site.
 

Up Main

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The best explanation is that it was all part of the gradual run down of the railway by the BR London Midland Region to close the ‘Last Main Line’, because it pretty much duplicated services on the Midland route to London in the final years.

It all started in 1960, as part of their wind down of operations. The London Midland Region of British Railways operating the former GCR, withdrew through express trains on the London Extension via Nottingham Victoria to Sheffield and beyond, leaving only so called semi-fast local and stopping services.

1965, saw withdrawal of the sixty-seven freight services that operated over the GCR by the London Midland Region including the famous 'Runners' and 'Windcutters' - coal trains that plied between Annesley and Woodford Halse yards up to forty times a day.

London Marylebone to Nottingham Victoria finally closed as a through-route on 3rd September 1966, to leave a simple service operating between Nottingham and Rugby, via Loughborough and Leicester, leaving the train services to terminate at Nottingham Arkwright Street station.

The Great Central had effectively ceased to exist, Arkwright Street became the new terminus for this short lived act of mercy, so that Victoria could be closed and then demolished, to make way for the new ‘Victoria Shopping Centre’ development. Arkwright St Station was very close to the City centre, being the first stop out of Victoria and virtually adjacent to Nottingham Midland, which is of course is the only station to serve Nottingham today. This service finished on the 5th May 1969.
 

Cowley

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The best explanation is that it was all part of the gradual run down of the railway by the BR London Midland Region to close the ‘Last Main Line’, because it pretty much duplicated services on the Midland route to London in the final years.

It all started in 1960, as part of their wind down of operations. The London Midland Region of British Railways operating the former GCR, withdrew through express trains on the London Extension via Nottingham Victoria to Sheffield and beyond, leaving only so called semi-fast local and stopping services.

1965, saw withdrawal of the sixty-seven freight services that operated over the GCR by the London Midland Region including the famous 'Runners' and 'Windcutters' - coal trains that plied between Annesley and Woodford Halse yards up to forty times a day.

London Marylebone to Nottingham Victoria finally closed as a through-route on 3rd September 1966, to leave a simple service operating between Nottingham and Rugby, via Loughborough and Leicester, leaving the train services to terminate at Nottingham Arkwright Street station.

The Great Central had effectively ceased to exist, Arkwright Street became the new terminus for this short lived act of mercy, so that Victoria could be closed and then demolished, to make way for the new ‘Victoria Shopping Centre’ development. Arkwright St Station was very close to the City centre, being the first stop out of Victoria and virtually adjacent to Nottingham Midland, which is of course is the only station to serve Nottingham today. This service finished on the 5th May 1969.
A very clear and concise post Up Main, thanks for your input.
Although I mostly knew it, you put it succinctly and it was interesting to read, as is anything related to the old GCR in my eyes.
I wish I’d had a chance to travel on it in its heyday, but I sometimes can’t believe how lucky we are to still have what’s left (and the way it’s going from strength to strength).
 

trebor79

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But why a gradual run down if the decision to close had been made already?
I'm aware of why it terminated at Arkwright Street rather than Victoria. I just can't think why anyone in their right mind would decide an isolated shuttle service on a derelict railway operated essentially as 2 long sidings would make sense.
Part if me wonders if the early preservation movement that became the present day GCR had friendly people within BR who kept this but open as long as possible. Wasn't the original aim to preserve the whole Rugby to Nottingham section?

It's the only vaguely plausible reason I can think of to hang onto a basic service after the route proper had completely closed.
 

Calthrop

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The trains did also serve three places which were not otherwise rail connected and was described as a commuter service as it called at East Leake, enabling passengers from there to travel to Nottingham, Loughborough and Leicester, and also Ashby Magna and Lutterworth for people travelling to Leicester and Rugby.

Also, it provided a direct link between Leicester and Rugby as opposed to going round by Nuneaton, although it's interesting no mention was made of doing that in the closure notices which just mentioned an alternative bus service.

One wonders whether, if the ex-Midland Railway Rugby -- Leicester line had not been closed at the beginning of 1962 as in fact happened, but had been retained; with Rugby -- Leicester thus not being a "rail gap" in the absence of the GCR route between the two: Rugby to Nottingham might have closed in 1966 with the rest of the GCR main line -- it being quite closely duplicated throughout, by former Midland trackage. Also, whether closure of the Midland Rugby -- Leicester line featured in planned scenarios re the Great Central route; or whether in this matter, the London Midland Region's left hand did not know what its right hand was doing.
 

yorksrob

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But why a gradual run down if the decision to close had been made already?
I'm aware of why it terminated at Arkwright Street rather than Victoria. I just can't think why anyone in their right mind would decide an isolated shuttle service on a derelict railway operated essentially as 2 long sidings would make sense.
Part if me wonders if the early preservation movement that became the present day GCR had friendly people within BR who kept this but open as long as possible. Wasn't the original aim to preserve the whole Rugby to Nottingham section?

It's the only vaguely plausible reason I can think of to hang onto a basic service after the route proper had completely closed.

Keeping a basic service open to serve intermediate settlements would have been fairly sensible, particularly as to all intents and purposes, it fed into the rest of the network at Nottingham (Arkwright/Midland).

This is more plausible, with the eventual closure being a poorly thought out cost cutting measure, than BR supporting a preservation proposal (apparently they weren't particularly helpful in the early years of Peak rail).
 

edwin_m

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The GCR was indeed the only direct rail link between Leicester and Rugby, two fairly sizeable places, and I too wonder about the wisdom of closing the Midland route which was far better connected than the GCR at both ends so could have had some potential for longer-distance passenger and freight. The Midland doesn't appear to hit any population in between, but was that really a reason to favour the GCR when the presumption at the time was that such local services were better provided by buses?

Nottingham to Leicester was essentially a duplication - East Leake had and still has a good bus service into Nottingham and Loughborough. However there was a need for rail access to the army depot at Ruddington and I think also some of the gypsum mines/factories too. The stations at Leicester and Loughborough were too far apart for each interchange, so I conjecture the less difficult interchange at Nottingham combined with the freight situation might have been enough to keep the passenger service for a couple of years. At the time this was by using the Great Northern connection to Weekday Cross and reversing in the tunnel, as the connection at Loughborough was built later to allow closure north of Ruddington. I don't think there was ever a connection for stock to access the line at Rugby but there may have been one somewhere in Leicester.
 

MichaelAMW

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1965, saw withdrawal of the sixty-seven freight services that operated over the GCR by the London Midland Region including the famous 'Runners' and 'Windcutters' - coal trains that plied between Annesley and Woodford Halse yards up to forty times a day.

What happened to all those freights? It would have been a lot for another route to absorb them all.
 

Merthyr Imp

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The freight then went via Toton and the Midland lines.

The book I mentioned earlier quotes all freight traffic as being diverted in 1965, with 470 wagons daily to Wales and the South West and 720 wagons mainly of coal. It states there was sufficient space at Toton to absorb the extra volume of traffic.

There is also the point that wagonload traffic began to decline from the mid-1960s with a change to block trains.
 

yorksrob

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The GCR was indeed the only direct rail link between Leicester and Rugby, two fairly sizeable places, and I too wonder about the wisdom of closing the Midland route which was far better connected than the GCR at both ends so could have had some potential for longer-distance passenger and freight. The Midland doesn't appear to hit any population in between, but was that really a reason to favour the GCR when the presumption at the time was that such local services were better provided by buses?

Nottingham to Leicester was essentially a duplication - East Leake had and still has a good bus service into Nottingham and Loughborough. However there was a need for rail access to the army depot at Ruddington and I think also some of the gypsum mines/factories too. The stations at Leicester and Loughborough were too far apart for each interchange, so I conjecture the less difficult interchange at Nottingham combined with the freight situation might have been enough to keep the passenger service for a couple of years. At the time this was by using the Great Northern connection to Weekday Cross and reversing in the tunnel, as the connection at Loughborough was built later to allow closure north of Ruddington. I don't think there was ever a connection for stock to access the line at Rugby but there may have been one somewhere in Leicester.

A 'good bus service' doesn't count as duplication in my book.
 

30907

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Having used the line (on a school railway society trip - one of the committee was into the GC!), memory says it wasnt very busy.
However, it had a relatively frequent service at peak times, requiring 2 units in 1967-68, rather more frequent IIRC than the residual service from Marylebone, so there was some logic in retaining it.
Whether that was a BR decision or a MoT one I can't recall, though.
 

ChiefPlanner

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What happened to all those freights? It would have been a lot for another route to absorb them all.

A huge amount of them were coal "Windcutters" from Annesley - their job was done as the UK turned to North Sea Gas , and the Clean Air Act after the infamous London 1952 smog which killed about 4000 people banned the burning of coal in open grates in the London and South East area. Most long distance "quality" freight was on the other routes - and that was in decline - though some was saved by the burgeoning Freightliner concept - which had nothing to do with the GC anyway....
 

Merthyr Imp

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Reproduced from the aforementioned book:

Untitled-Scanned-01.jpg

(Image of timetable dated 1 December 1968, showing six trains each way from Nottingham Arkwright St to Rugby Central, with a journey time of just over an hour. Trains were second class only, with tickets available from the Guard on the train).
 
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Taunton

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The Midland Rugby to Leicester line had an operating disadvantage that it sharply diverged immediately to the north of the Rugby platform ends, to the extent that tracks from the main down platform, and the north end bays, all had to cross the Up WCML on a string of diamond crossings. It may have even restricted extension of the platforms. This must have been an operational and maintenance considerable nuisance, especially to route any Down freights to Leicester, and may have restricted Up WCML speeds.

For the handful of local trains run, with sparse loads, and with most local traffic between the two towns on the GC line anyway, it was a likely closure candidate. I wonder if the closure of it was justified by the duplicate GC line, and as a result it was then too difficult to close that shortly afterwards. The Midland line had only really been of use between 1840, when it was initially the main route from London to Leicester and Nottingham etc, and 1857, when the Midland's own line southward from Leicester was opened. Thereafter it served little purpose. There were alternative links from north or south via Nuneaton and via Northampton-Market Harborough.
 

trebor79

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Thanks everyone for a very interesting discussion. I agree it looks like a fudge to keep some sort of direct service between Leicester and Rugby.
Terribly inefficient service from a crew and rolling stock point of view though. Looks like 3 units and crews do the work of one. What on earth did the guys do on layovers of several hours at an isolated derelict station?
 

ashworth

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Nottingham to Leicester in 32 minutes with stops at East Leake and Loughborough is very good for a DMU. I have often wondered if the Great Central had been retained, and upgraded for higher speed running, what the timings could have been for HSTs from Nottingham to Leicester and London.
 

70014IronDuke

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Thanks everyone for a very interesting discussion. I agree it looks like a fudge to keep some sort of direct service between Leicester and Rugby.
Terribly inefficient service from a crew and rolling stock point of view though. Looks like 3 units and crews do the work of one. What on earth did the guys do on layovers of several hours at an isolated derelict station?

Apols, coming late into this conversation. I have always assumed that there was never any intention whatsoever of keeping Rugby-Nottingham open - and that it was merely because BR could not get the replacement bus services sorted out to serve the smaller places like Lutterworth (ie exactly like Bletchley - Bedford).

The fact that nobody has come up with this reason makes me wonder now, of course. Possibly it was seen as a way to close the GC more easily. ie fewer time-consuming objections by doing it in two phases rather than one.
But with Barbara Castle in charge under Wilson, and the pound in your pocket shrinking at an alarming rate, it shouldn't have been difficult.
 

yorksrob

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Thanks everyone for a very interesting discussion. I agree it looks like a fudge to keep some sort of direct service between Leicester and Rugby.
Terribly inefficient service from a crew and rolling stock point of view though. Looks like 3 units and crews do the work of one. What on earth did the guys do on layovers of several hours at an isolated derelict station?

Of course, if the stock and crews had been used to provide a more useful interval service, it could have become a useful commuter line.
 

RT4038

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Apols, coming late into this conversation. I have always assumed that there was never any intention whatsoever of keeping Rugby-Nottingham open - and that it was merely because BR could not get the replacement bus services sorted out to serve the smaller places like Lutterworth (ie exactly like Bletchley - Bedford).

The fact that nobody has come up with this reason makes me wonder now, of course. Possibly it was seen as a way to close the GC more easily. ie fewer time-consuming objections by doing it in two phases rather than one.
But with Barbara Castle in charge under Wilson, and the pound in your pocket shrinking at an alarming rate, it shouldn't have been difficult.
Only required two units. One laid over in (unmanned) Rugby Central all night. I don't think that there was any issue over the rail replacement service - an extension every 2 hours of the existing frequent Midland Red 640 Leicester-Lutterworth service to Rugby, I believe. (The replacement service for the Rugby-Leicester via Ullesthorpe line (X66), which also served Lutterworth although the railway didn't, had long gone by then.) I have always assumed that the last vestige service between Rugby Central and Nottingham was a sop to reduce the amount of possible objection to the main closure. There was an amount of commuting over this section, so dividing the possible objections probably seemed a good idea.
 

RT4038

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Thanks everyone for a very interesting discussion. I agree it looks like a fudge to keep some sort of direct service between Leicester and Rugby.
Terribly inefficient service from a crew and rolling stock point of view though. Looks like 3 units and crews do the work of one. What on earth did the guys do on layovers of several hours at an isolated derelict station?
Not sure that is quite fair. Only 2 units were required. In the 'peak' period the trains are used quite intensively. In the 'off-peak' period most of the trains had already been withdrawn when the stopping services were discontinued in 1963. So with Nottingham-Loughborough-Leicester passengers travelling via the Midland Line, there wasn't alot of possible business back in 1968!
 

RT4038

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Of course, if the stock and crews had been used to provide a more useful interval service, it could have become a useful commuter line.
With a journey time of 67 min, two units would have got an easily remembered 75min interval service, and not necessarily the trains arriving/departing at convenient commuter times at Nottingham and Leicester either.
 

Taunton

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Looking at that timetable, the dmu service actually loooked quite efficient for the stock. I did understand that, however, there were hardly any passengers. One of the downsides of the GC coming along so late was that their stations were more on the periphery of the built up areas than those opened 50-60 years beforehand, and they provided zero connecting opportunity at the main points. The GC line service had been substantially run down in 1960, when the expresses were withdrawn and a few semi-fasts substituted, but there was still the local service on this section which this dmu shuttle perpetuated.

The Annesley-Woodford Halse frequent freights, which in all truth is the traffic the line's construction was financially justified for rather than passengers, may have been fast for coal trains of their day, but it's not actually that far, and although some (not all) of the coal traffic originated near Annesley, to then terminate in the middle of rural Northamptonshire and sit in sidings there for the rest of the day before going onward, as they did, was just old railway inefficiency.
 

70014IronDuke

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Keeping a basic service open to serve intermediate settlements would have been fairly sensible, particularly as to all intents and purposes, it fed into the rest of the network at Nottingham (Arkwright/Midland).

I imagine the number of people changing and continuing onward at the two Notttingham stations on a daily basis would have been less than double figures - given the train service supplied. Leicester to Leicester - even fewer. Ditto Rugby to Rugby.

This is more plausible, with the eventual closure being a poorly thought out cost cutting measure, than BR supporting a preservation proposal (apparently they weren't particularly helpful in the early years of Peak rail).
I don't think it was poorly thought out. On the contrary - quite well thought out, if the ploy was to "manage" the objections over two phases to ensure closure. BR/the government were determined to close it. As for any idea that BR wanted to help the potential preservation movement, that scores 0 out of 10. I'm sure BR were not the slightest bit interested.

But, I was wondering about 9 months ago (and thought of starting a thread on this) - if BR had been more positive, and with a more positive government - if a more "basic railway" - with singling over selected sections a la Salisbury-Exeter - might have worked. Or at least justified a subsidy based on the 'socially necessary' test.
In essence, it would have been based on a local service between Nottingham and Rugby, feeding into a semi-fast onwar service alternating to MArylebone and Banbury-Oxford.

It would have needed re-opening some stations between Nottingham and Leicester like Ruddington, and the present day stations on the Loughborough - Leicester North section, and maybe Whetstone.

What I mean is something like:

Nottingham Arkwright Str
08.00 - Semi fast to Marylebone (Cl 115 four car unit).
08.10 - Local stopper to Rugby
09.00 - Semi fast to Banbury (or Oxford) *
09.10 - Local stopper to Rugby
repeat pattern.
* to save costs, this service might have only run from Leicester most of the day.

But this would have required significant investment in singling and re-signalling the line, and I suspect the LM region were simpliy under instructions from 222 Marylebone Rd to close it, end of.
 

30907

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Arkwright Str
08.00 - Semi fast to Marylebone (Cl 115 four car unit).
08.10 - Local stopper to Rugby
09.00 - Semi fast to Banbury (or Oxford) *
09.10 - Local stopper to Rugby
repeat pattern.
* to save costs, this service might have only run from Leicester most of the day.

But this would have required significant investment in singling and re-signalling the line, and I suspect the LM region were simpliy under instructions from 222 Marylebone Rd to close it, end of.

Nice idea, but I think it would also have required late C20th/C21st patterns of commuting to make it work. Beyond Aylesbury/Oxford was really not London commuterbelt in the 60s, or even in the 80s, it took the M40 (among other things) to change that.
 

Flying Phil

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This was taken at Leicester May 1969 - just before closure of the Notts/Rugby service.2013-01-17_24.JPG 2013-01-17_25.JPG
 
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