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When has there been or will there be a run over the Leicester to Burton line ?

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Mutant Lemming

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It's one of the few stretches of track I have never traversed and there never seems to be any progress towards it re-opening and no trips or tours along it.
 
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Eagle

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The reason it hasn't reopened for passengers is that it connects the wrong way at the Leicester end <map>. The only way you could get a train from Leicester to that line is with a reversal at South Wigston, and I'm not sure that's possible, signals-wise.

It could be used by EMT to get to Derby during disruption (but it would have to be pretty severe for them to be willing to miss out Leicester; probably a disruption at Leicester itself).

Or by XC if there was somehow simultaneously a block at Leicester, Tamworth and Lichfield :lol:
 

Mr Spock

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UK Railtours ran a trip on 4th June last year (The Midland & Great Central No. 2) that included from Market Harborough to Burton.

I also think that the BLS (Branch Line Society) have run a tour along there since the UK one.
 

Eagle

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Is there any reason why a chord couldn't be built between Leicester and this line?

There was a plan to, in the early 1990s, same time as the stations between Leicester and Loughborough were reopened.

Privatization got in the way. Only one bit got done, and that was reopening Willington.
 

sprinterguy

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UK Railtours ran a trip on 4th June last year (The Midland & Great Central No. 2) that included from Market Harborough to Burton.

I also think that the BLS (Branch Line Society) have run a tour along there since the UK one.
There was also a steam railtour hauled by a pair of Pannier tanks to Leicester over the route in November last year.
 

sprinterguy

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Where'd it reverse/run round?
I'm not aware that it had to: The route it took was a circuitous one that ran Tyseley - Water Orton - Nuneaton - Wigston North Junction - Coalville - Burton upon Trent - Stenson Junction - Sheet Stores Junction (The freight only Derby avoiding line) - Loughborough - Leicester - Nuneaton - Water Orton - Tyseley.
http://www.sixbellsjunction.co.uk/10s/111119vt.htm
 

Tubeboy

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Vintage Trains ran a tour with two panniers last month. Went via the cross city line, Wichnor, then along the Burton-Leicester line. Went through Knighton Junction, then back to Tyseley via Nuneaton.
 

Techniquest

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Well, they say they will but if it's like any of the other freight line bashing tours I've either booked on or wanted to do with UKR, it'll either get cancelled or have a drastic change to the plan. I'd put in a request for holiday time, and fight to get it, but I don't fancy the risk. And Oakham Junction to Kettering, ugh what a dull line to go along...I'd be more likely to bail at Nottingham and find my own way home!

The main part of the day I do have an interest in though for that line through Coalville, it being one of two big lines in the Midlands I need. Hmm...
 

Batman

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Wasn't there a plan to re-open the line in the early 1990's, but it was calculated not to be economically viable.

Would that still be the case today considering that most (if not all) of the track and signals would need replacing and a new cord would need to be built at Leicester. But with the huge increase in the popularity of local rail services since privatisation, I wouldn't be surprised if the economic case has improved substantially.

And would there be enough capacity at Leicester and Derby to run a 2pth service and would that even be possible considering there are section of single track?
 

Mvann

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Wasn't there a plan to re-open the line in the early 1990's, but it was calculated not to be economically viable.

Would that still be the case today considering that most (if not all) of the track and signals would need replacing and a new cord would need to be built at Leicester. But with the huge increase in the popularity of local rail services since privatisation, I wouldn't be surprised if the economic case has improved substantially.

And would there be enough capacity at Leicester and Derby to run a 2pth service and would that even be possible considering there are section of single track?
It was partly cost and also that the driver would have to change ends. Also I think one industrial unit would have to be demolished to put the original junction back in for a direct line into leicester.
 

Batman

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It was partly cost and also that the driver would have to change ends. Also I think one industrial unit would have to be demolished to put the original junction back in for a direct line into leicester.

So in other words, don't hold your breath for it to be reopened any time soon?
 
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Wasn't there a plan to re-open the line in the early 1990's, but it was calculated not to be economically viable.

No, it was given the go-ahead by the then Tory government in 1993 - it was in the position that East-West Rail is in now. The money was allocated but during the final parts of the process, Railtrack was formed and promptly increased the price. Stage 3 of the Robin Hood Line (Woodhouse - Worksop) tripled in price thanks to Railtrack.

The latest report done put a BCR of 1.6 or the same as HS2 based on a pitiful 220,000 passengers per annum - that is less than the prediction for Ebbw Vale. Bermuda Park as part of NUCKLE is expected to produce 112,000. Ivanhoe Stage 2 was to have stations at Bede Island (Walkers Stadium), Rancliffe Crescent, Leicester Forest East, Desford, Kirkby Muxloe, Bagworth, Coalville, Swannington, Ashby-de-la-Zouch, Moira and Castle Gresley.

Trains can run-round on the Knighton loop or just reverse for an MU.
 

Batman

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No, it was given the go-ahead by the then Tory government in 1993 - it was in the position that East-West Rail is in now. The money was allocated but during the final parts of the process, Railtrack was formed and promptly increased the price. Stage 3 of the Robin Hood Line (Woodhouse - Worksop) tripled in price thanks to Railtrack.

The latest report done put a BCR of 1.6 or the same as HS2 based on a pitiful 220,000 passengers per annum - that is less than the prediction for Ebbw Vale. Bermuda Park as part of NUCKLE is expected to produce 112,000. Ivanhoe Stage 2 was to have stations at Bede Island (Walkers Stadium), Rancliffe Crescent, Leicester Forest East, Desford, Kirkby Muxloe, Bagworth, Coalville, Swannington, Ashby-de-la-Zouch, Moira and Castle Gresley.

Trains can run-round on the Knighton loop or just reverse for an MU.

Is it still one of the East Midlands regional funding priorities, or has it now been put on the back burner? And would re-opning require full scale re-signaling and track replacements?
 
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It is on the backburner unfortunately. The project was always promoted by Leicestershire CC and NW Leicester DC. The county council in the last decade has swing firmly in the favour of road development - particularly around villages that certain councillors live in.

Neither of the councils can ever hope to fund the scheme themselves and the DfT isn't interested as it isn't either London, Birmingham or Manchester. A lot of track would need replacing but not all. Ironically the single track section (east of Bardon) was at one time the quieter section of the route with all the coal traffic that was west of Coalville. Now all of the freight traffic is on the eastern side.

As far as signalling goes, it is one of the earliest routes due to get ERTMS.
 

Batman

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the DfT isn't interested as it isn't either London, Birmingham or Manchester.

I'd dispute that. There are lots of other projects that the current government have committed funding to that are outside the main conurbations. Re-doubling the Golden Valley line and dueling the A11 in Thetford Forrest are the first examples that come into my head.

To me, the biggest East Midlands transport priorities (excluding HS2) in order of priority are;

1) Widening the A14 Kettring by-pass.

2) MML electrification (with new stations at Rushden, Ilkeston and Clay Cross).

3) Building lines 2 and 3 of the Nottingham Metro.

4) The Newark flyover.

5) Completing A46 dueling from Leicester to Lincoln.

6) Widening the M1 from 3 to 4 lanes between junctions 21a-23a, 24-25 & 28-32 (with upgrading of Junction 21 and relocation of Leicester Forrest East services)

7) Reopening the Leicester to Burton lines.
 
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