Great Northern and London and North Western Joint Railway
Encyclopedia
The Great Northern and London and North Western Joint Railway was a joint railway
owned by the Great Northern Railway
(GNR) and the London and North Western Railway
(LNWR) in east Leicestershire
.
to Stathern junction, where the line split. One branch ran north west and joined the GNR
Grantham to Nottingham
line at Saxondale junction for access to Nottingham. The other line ran north to Bottesford junction on the same line, where curves allowed through running east towards Grantham
or west towards Nottingham.
to Stamford
line between Rugby
and Seaton
and built a new double track line from Seaton
to Yarwell junction near Wansford
on their Northampton
to Peterborough
line.
The GNR built a branch from the joint line from Marefield junction to a new station at Leicester Belgrave Road
, and a line from the end of the joint line at Bottesford
north to Newark. They also built the Fletton curve in Peterborough
between Longville junction on the LNWR line and Fletton junction on the GNR
main line to allow trains arriving from the west to access the GNR
station in Cowgate.
and Saxondale junction on 1 September 1879, and from Harby & Stathern
to Newark and Melton
to Welham and Drayton junctions on 15 December]. The initial services were Northampton
to Nottingham, Northampton
to Newark and Melton
to Grantham
.
The Newark to Northampton
service was not a success, so was withdrawn on 1 May 1882. Bottesford South station
was closed at the same time. The through services were replaced by a connecting services from Harby & Stathern
to Newark.
On 1 January 1883, the GNR
opened their line from Marefield Junction to a new station at Leicester Belgrave Road
. Marefield junction was triangular to allow through running to the north or south on the joint line. From Leicester
, the GNR
laid on services to Grantham
via Melton
and to Peterborough North
via Seaton
and Wansford
.
opened Victoria station
in Nottingham. The GNR
built a connecting line and diverted all their trains to the new centrally located station, but the LNWR opted to continue terminating their trains at London Road station, now renamed London Road Low Level to distinguish it from London Road High Level on the new connecting line to Victoria
.
This did nothing to encourage growth on this route, and this fault was not remedied until 1944 when these services were at last diverted to Victoria by the LMS
.
In 1910 the services comprised each way six per day on the Northampton
to Nottingham route and the same Leicester
to Grantham
, three Leicester
to Peterborough
, two Leicester
to Lowesby
and one Leicester
to Newark which interconnected with a Northampton
to Nottingham train at Harby
.
The Leicester
to Peterborough
service was stopped as a war economy in 1916, and Medbourne station
was closed. The station was accidentally burned down shortly after. The track was singled but continued in use for goods.
The remaining Leicester
to Newark train and the Lowesby
locals had also gone by 1922, at which time the service comprised each way five per day on the Northampton
to Nottingham route, operated by the LNWR, and four per day on the Leicester
to Grantham
route, operated by the GNR
.
Unfortunately, several routes provided by the joint line competed with faster and more frequent trains of the Midland Railway
. For example, in 1922, the Melton to Nottingham route was served by five trains via the joint line in around 55 minutes, but the Midland Railway
provided fourteen on their route with several trains taking only 25 minutes. Similarly, between Melton
and Leicester
, the joint line provided four trains taking 53 minutes compared to the Midland
's fourteen with a best of 24 minutes.
As a result, the joint line relied too much on traffic to and from minor intermediate village stations and by 1950 there were only two trains each way on the Leicester
to Grantham
route, one of these was a semi-fast timed to connect with the Flying Scotsman
, but this was withdrawn in 1951. Regular services finally ceased on 7 December 1953. Summer specials, mainly Leicester to Skegness
or Mablethorpe
, which had always been the one bright spot for the line, survived until 1962. Through goods traffic lasted until 1964.
and Newark. Local traffic was mainly derived from ironstone workings near Waltham-on-the-Wolds. These working were served by a GNR branch line from Scalford
opened on 5 April 1883. Waltham also had a station
but it was only used for race specials and never had a regular service.
A few fragments remained in use for a few years: The goods, coal and petrol depots at Belgrave Road
were served by a rebuilt connection from the Midland Railway
. This connection had been built for the supply of materials during construction and not used since. The oil depot was the last to close, on 1 January 1969.
An oil depot at Redmile
was served by the line from Bottesford
. The curve from Bottesford south to west junction was rebuilt for this traffic, it had originally closed in 1882 after being found to be unnecessary as traffic for Nottingham naturally used the line via Barnstone
. The GNR owned section from Bottesford to Newark remained open until 1988.
Joint railway
A joint railway is a railway operating under the control of more than one railway company: those companies very often supplying the traction over the railway.-United Kingdom:There are many examples of joint railway working in the United Kingdom...
owned by the Great Northern Railway
Great Northern Railway (Great Britain)
The Great Northern Railway was a British railway company established by the Great Northern Railway Act of 1846. On 1 January 1923 the company lost its identity as a constituent of the newly formed London and North Eastern Railway....
(GNR) and the London and North Western Railway
London and North Western Railway
The London and North Western Railway was a British railway company between 1846 and 1922. It was created by the merger of three companies – the Grand Junction Railway, the London and Birmingham Railway and the Manchester and Birmingham Railway...
(LNWR) in east Leicestershire
Leicestershire
Leicestershire is a landlocked county in the English Midlands. It takes its name from the heavily populated City of Leicester, traditionally its administrative centre, although the City of Leicester unitary authority is today administered separately from the rest of Leicestershire...
.
Location
The joint line started from Welham junction and Drayton junction on the LNWR Rugby and Stamford Railway in the south. These junctions allowed traffic to join from either direction. The lines from these junctions ran north and converged at Hallaton junction and then continued via Melton MowbrayMelton Mowbray North railway station
Melton Mowbray North railway station was a railway station in Melton Mowbray in Leicestershire, United Kingdom on the Great Northern and London and North Western Joint Railway....
to Stathern junction, where the line split. One branch ran north west and joined the GNR
GNR
-In music:* Guns N' Roses, a hard rock/heavy metal band from Los Angeles, California* GNR, a Portuguese rock band.-Railways:* Great Northern Railway of Great Britain.* Great Northern Railway of Ireland....
Grantham to Nottingham
Ambergate, Nottingham, Boston and Eastern Junction Railway
The Ambergate, Nottingham, Boston and Eastern Junction Railway was an early British railway company, which opened in 1850.The original aim was to link to the proposed Manchester, Buxton, Matlock and Midlands Junction Railway at Ambergate to link Manchester with Boston and the East Coast...
line at Saxondale junction for access to Nottingham. The other line ran north to Bottesford junction on the same line, where curves allowed through running east towards Grantham
Grantham railway station
Grantham railway station serves the town of Grantham in Lincolnshire, England and lies on the East Coast Main Line north of London Kings Cross.-Description:Junctions near the town also connect to branches to Nottingham, and to Sleaford and Skegness...
or west towards Nottingham.
Connecting Lines
In connection with the joint line, the LNWR double tracked their previously single track RugbyRugby railway station
Rugby railway station serves the town of Rugby in Warwickshire, England. It opened during the Victorian era, in 1885, replacing earlier stations situated a little further west...
to Stamford
Stamford railway station
Stamford railway station serves the town of Stamford in Lincolnshire, England. The station is west of Peterborough on the Syston and Peterborough Railway, the line is now part of the much bigger Birmingham to Peterborough Line. CrossCountry operate the majority of services as part of their...
line between Rugby
Rugby railway station
Rugby railway station serves the town of Rugby in Warwickshire, England. It opened during the Victorian era, in 1885, replacing earlier stations situated a little further west...
and Seaton
Seaton railway station
Other stations with this name have included Seaton in Cumbria , Seaton in Durham , Seaton Delaval in Northumberland , in Devon and Seaton Park in Adelaide, Australia....
and built a new double track line from Seaton
Seaton railway station
Other stations with this name have included Seaton in Cumbria , Seaton in Durham , Seaton Delaval in Northumberland , in Devon and Seaton Park in Adelaide, Australia....
to Yarwell junction near Wansford
Wansford railway station
Wansford railway station is the headquarters of the Nene Valley Railway. The current station building was opened in 1995 and contains a ticket office, shop, cafe and toilets. The locomotive sheds are located at this station. Also at the station there is a picnic area and children's playground...
on their Northampton
Northampton railway station
Northampton railway station is a railway station serving the large town of Northampton and other parts of Northamptonshire in England. Other parts of South Northamptonshire are better served by Kings Sutton, Banbury and Milton Keynes Central stations....
to Peterborough
Peterborough East railway station
Peterborough East was a railway station in Peterborough, England. It was opened on 2 June 1845 and closed to passenger traffic on 6 June 1966. Located on Station Road just off Town Bridge, only the engine sheds and one platform remain extant today...
line.
The GNR built a branch from the joint line from Marefield junction to a new station at Leicester Belgrave Road
Leicester Belgrave Road railway station
-Overview:Leicester Belgrave Road was the Great Northern Railway terminus in Leicester, England. It was the terminus of the GNR's branch line from the Great Northern and London and North Western Joint Railway at Marefield Junction. It opened on 2 October 1882...
, and a line from the end of the joint line at Bottesford
Bottesford South railway station
Bottesford South railway station was a railway station serving the village of Bottesford, Leicestershire, on the Great Northern and London and North Western Joint Railway. It opened in 1879 and was served by LNWR trains running between Northampton and Newark and Great Northern Railway trains...
north to Newark. They also built the Fletton curve in Peterborough
Peterborough
Peterborough is a cathedral city and unitary authority area in the East of England, with an estimated population of in June 2007. For ceremonial purposes it is in the county of Cambridgeshire. Situated north of London, the city stands on the River Nene which flows into the North Sea...
between Longville junction on the LNWR line and Fletton junction on the GNR
GNR
-In music:* Guns N' Roses, a hard rock/heavy metal band from Los Angeles, California* GNR, a Portuguese rock band.-Railways:* Great Northern Railway of Great Britain.* Great Northern Railway of Ireland....
main line to allow trains arriving from the west to access the GNR
GNR
-In music:* Guns N' Roses, a hard rock/heavy metal band from Los Angeles, California* GNR, a Portuguese rock band.-Railways:* Great Northern Railway of Great Britain.* Great Northern Railway of Ireland....
station in Cowgate.
Early days
The line opened between MeltonMelton Mowbray North railway station
Melton Mowbray North railway station was a railway station in Melton Mowbray in Leicestershire, United Kingdom on the Great Northern and London and North Western Joint Railway....
and Saxondale junction on 1 September 1879, and from Harby & Stathern
Harby and Stathern railway station
Harby & Stathern Station was a former station on the Great Northern and London and North Western Joint Railway that served the villages of Harby and Stathern, in Leicestershire.-Overview:...
to Newark and Melton
Melton Mowbray North railway station
Melton Mowbray North railway station was a railway station in Melton Mowbray in Leicestershire, United Kingdom on the Great Northern and London and North Western Joint Railway....
to Welham and Drayton junctions on 15 December]. The initial services were Northampton
Northampton railway station
Northampton railway station is a railway station serving the large town of Northampton and other parts of Northamptonshire in England. Other parts of South Northamptonshire are better served by Kings Sutton, Banbury and Milton Keynes Central stations....
to Nottingham, Northampton
Northampton railway station
Northampton railway station is a railway station serving the large town of Northampton and other parts of Northamptonshire in England. Other parts of South Northamptonshire are better served by Kings Sutton, Banbury and Milton Keynes Central stations....
to Newark and Melton
Melton Mowbray North railway station
Melton Mowbray North railway station was a railway station in Melton Mowbray in Leicestershire, United Kingdom on the Great Northern and London and North Western Joint Railway....
to Grantham
Grantham railway station
Grantham railway station serves the town of Grantham in Lincolnshire, England and lies on the East Coast Main Line north of London Kings Cross.-Description:Junctions near the town also connect to branches to Nottingham, and to Sleaford and Skegness...
.
The Newark to Northampton
Northampton railway station
Northampton railway station is a railway station serving the large town of Northampton and other parts of Northamptonshire in England. Other parts of South Northamptonshire are better served by Kings Sutton, Banbury and Milton Keynes Central stations....
service was not a success, so was withdrawn on 1 May 1882. Bottesford South station
Bottesford South railway station
Bottesford South railway station was a railway station serving the village of Bottesford, Leicestershire, on the Great Northern and London and North Western Joint Railway. It opened in 1879 and was served by LNWR trains running between Northampton and Newark and Great Northern Railway trains...
was closed at the same time. The through services were replaced by a connecting services from Harby & Stathern
Harby and Stathern railway station
Harby & Stathern Station was a former station on the Great Northern and London and North Western Joint Railway that served the villages of Harby and Stathern, in Leicestershire.-Overview:...
to Newark.
On 1 January 1883, the GNR
GNR
-In music:* Guns N' Roses, a hard rock/heavy metal band from Los Angeles, California* GNR, a Portuguese rock band.-Railways:* Great Northern Railway of Great Britain.* Great Northern Railway of Ireland....
opened their line from Marefield Junction to a new station at Leicester Belgrave Road
Leicester Belgrave Road railway station
-Overview:Leicester Belgrave Road was the Great Northern Railway terminus in Leicester, England. It was the terminus of the GNR's branch line from the Great Northern and London and North Western Joint Railway at Marefield Junction. It opened on 2 October 1882...
. Marefield junction was triangular to allow through running to the north or south on the joint line. From Leicester
Leicester Belgrave Road railway station
-Overview:Leicester Belgrave Road was the Great Northern Railway terminus in Leicester, England. It was the terminus of the GNR's branch line from the Great Northern and London and North Western Joint Railway at Marefield Junction. It opened on 2 October 1882...
, the GNR
GNR
-In music:* Guns N' Roses, a hard rock/heavy metal band from Los Angeles, California* GNR, a Portuguese rock band.-Railways:* Great Northern Railway of Great Britain.* Great Northern Railway of Ireland....
laid on services to Grantham
Grantham railway station
Grantham railway station serves the town of Grantham in Lincolnshire, England and lies on the East Coast Main Line north of London Kings Cross.-Description:Junctions near the town also connect to branches to Nottingham, and to Sleaford and Skegness...
via Melton
Melton Mowbray North railway station
Melton Mowbray North railway station was a railway station in Melton Mowbray in Leicestershire, United Kingdom on the Great Northern and London and North Western Joint Railway....
and to Peterborough North
Peterborough railway station
Peterborough railway station serves the city of Peterborough, England. It is located approximately north of London Kings Cross on the East Coast Main Line...
via Seaton
Seaton railway station
Other stations with this name have included Seaton in Cumbria , Seaton in Durham , Seaton Delaval in Northumberland , in Devon and Seaton Park in Adelaide, Australia....
and Wansford
Wansford railway station
Wansford railway station is the headquarters of the Nene Valley Railway. The current station building was opened in 1995 and contains a ticket office, shop, cafe and toilets. The locomotive sheds are located at this station. Also at the station there is a picnic area and children's playground...
.
1900s
In 1900, the Great Central RailwayGreat Central Railway
The Great Central Railway was a railway company in England which came into being when the Manchester, Sheffield and Lincolnshire Railway changed its name in 1897 in anticipation of the opening in 1899 of its London Extension . On 1 January 1923, it was grouped into the London and North Eastern...
opened Victoria station
Nottingham Victoria railway station
Nottingham Victoria railway station was a Great Central Railway and Great Northern Railway railway station in Nottingham, England. It was designed by the architect Albert Edward Lambert....
in Nottingham. The GNR
GNR
-In music:* Guns N' Roses, a hard rock/heavy metal band from Los Angeles, California* GNR, a Portuguese rock band.-Railways:* Great Northern Railway of Great Britain.* Great Northern Railway of Ireland....
built a connecting line and diverted all their trains to the new centrally located station, but the LNWR opted to continue terminating their trains at London Road station, now renamed London Road Low Level to distinguish it from London Road High Level on the new connecting line to Victoria
Nottingham Victoria railway station
Nottingham Victoria railway station was a Great Central Railway and Great Northern Railway railway station in Nottingham, England. It was designed by the architect Albert Edward Lambert....
.
This did nothing to encourage growth on this route, and this fault was not remedied until 1944 when these services were at last diverted to Victoria by the LMS
London, Midland and Scottish Railway
The London Midland and Scottish Railway was a British railway company. It was formed on 1 January 1923 under the Railways Act of 1921, which required the grouping of over 120 separate railway companies into just four...
.
In 1910 the services comprised each way six per day on the Northampton
Northampton railway station
Northampton railway station is a railway station serving the large town of Northampton and other parts of Northamptonshire in England. Other parts of South Northamptonshire are better served by Kings Sutton, Banbury and Milton Keynes Central stations....
to Nottingham route and the same Leicester
Leicester Belgrave Road railway station
-Overview:Leicester Belgrave Road was the Great Northern Railway terminus in Leicester, England. It was the terminus of the GNR's branch line from the Great Northern and London and North Western Joint Railway at Marefield Junction. It opened on 2 October 1882...
to Grantham
Grantham railway station
Grantham railway station serves the town of Grantham in Lincolnshire, England and lies on the East Coast Main Line north of London Kings Cross.-Description:Junctions near the town also connect to branches to Nottingham, and to Sleaford and Skegness...
, three Leicester
Leicester Belgrave Road railway station
-Overview:Leicester Belgrave Road was the Great Northern Railway terminus in Leicester, England. It was the terminus of the GNR's branch line from the Great Northern and London and North Western Joint Railway at Marefield Junction. It opened on 2 October 1882...
to Peterborough
Peterborough railway station
Peterborough railway station serves the city of Peterborough, England. It is located approximately north of London Kings Cross on the East Coast Main Line...
, two Leicester
Leicester Belgrave Road railway station
-Overview:Leicester Belgrave Road was the Great Northern Railway terminus in Leicester, England. It was the terminus of the GNR's branch line from the Great Northern and London and North Western Joint Railway at Marefield Junction. It opened on 2 October 1882...
to Lowesby
Lowesby railway station
Lowesby railway station was a railway station serving the villages of Lowesby and Tilton on the Hill, Leicestershire, on the Great Northern Railway Leicester branch.-Overview:...
and one Leicester
Leicester Belgrave Road railway station
-Overview:Leicester Belgrave Road was the Great Northern Railway terminus in Leicester, England. It was the terminus of the GNR's branch line from the Great Northern and London and North Western Joint Railway at Marefield Junction. It opened on 2 October 1882...
to Newark which interconnected with a Northampton
Northampton railway station
Northampton railway station is a railway station serving the large town of Northampton and other parts of Northamptonshire in England. Other parts of South Northamptonshire are better served by Kings Sutton, Banbury and Milton Keynes Central stations....
to Nottingham train at Harby
Harby and Stathern railway station
Harby & Stathern Station was a former station on the Great Northern and London and North Western Joint Railway that served the villages of Harby and Stathern, in Leicestershire.-Overview:...
.
The Leicester
Leicester Belgrave Road railway station
-Overview:Leicester Belgrave Road was the Great Northern Railway terminus in Leicester, England. It was the terminus of the GNR's branch line from the Great Northern and London and North Western Joint Railway at Marefield Junction. It opened on 2 October 1882...
to Peterborough
Peterborough railway station
Peterborough railway station serves the city of Peterborough, England. It is located approximately north of London Kings Cross on the East Coast Main Line...
service was stopped as a war economy in 1916, and Medbourne station
Medbourne railway station
Medbourne railway station was a station in Medbourne, Leicestershire on the Great Northern and London and North Western Joint Railway.-History:...
was closed. The station was accidentally burned down shortly after. The track was singled but continued in use for goods.
The remaining Leicester
Leicester Belgrave Road railway station
-Overview:Leicester Belgrave Road was the Great Northern Railway terminus in Leicester, England. It was the terminus of the GNR's branch line from the Great Northern and London and North Western Joint Railway at Marefield Junction. It opened on 2 October 1882...
to Newark train and the Lowesby
Lowesby railway station
Lowesby railway station was a railway station serving the villages of Lowesby and Tilton on the Hill, Leicestershire, on the Great Northern Railway Leicester branch.-Overview:...
locals had also gone by 1922, at which time the service comprised each way five per day on the Northampton
Northampton railway station
Northampton railway station is a railway station serving the large town of Northampton and other parts of Northamptonshire in England. Other parts of South Northamptonshire are better served by Kings Sutton, Banbury and Milton Keynes Central stations....
to Nottingham route, operated by the LNWR, and four per day on the Leicester
Leicester Belgrave Road railway station
-Overview:Leicester Belgrave Road was the Great Northern Railway terminus in Leicester, England. It was the terminus of the GNR's branch line from the Great Northern and London and North Western Joint Railway at Marefield Junction. It opened on 2 October 1882...
to Grantham
Grantham railway station
Grantham railway station serves the town of Grantham in Lincolnshire, England and lies on the East Coast Main Line north of London Kings Cross.-Description:Junctions near the town also connect to branches to Nottingham, and to Sleaford and Skegness...
route, operated by the GNR
GNR
-In music:* Guns N' Roses, a hard rock/heavy metal band from Los Angeles, California* GNR, a Portuguese rock band.-Railways:* Great Northern Railway of Great Britain.* Great Northern Railway of Ireland....
.
Unfortunately, several routes provided by the joint line competed with faster and more frequent trains of the Midland Railway
Midland Railway
The Midland Railway was a railway company in the United Kingdom from 1844 to 1922, when it became part of the London, Midland and Scottish Railway....
. For example, in 1922, the Melton to Nottingham route was served by five trains via the joint line in around 55 minutes, but the Midland Railway
Midland Railway
The Midland Railway was a railway company in the United Kingdom from 1844 to 1922, when it became part of the London, Midland and Scottish Railway....
provided fourteen on their route with several trains taking only 25 minutes. Similarly, between Melton
Melton Mowbray North railway station
Melton Mowbray North railway station was a railway station in Melton Mowbray in Leicestershire, United Kingdom on the Great Northern and London and North Western Joint Railway....
and Leicester
Leicester Belgrave Road railway station
-Overview:Leicester Belgrave Road was the Great Northern Railway terminus in Leicester, England. It was the terminus of the GNR's branch line from the Great Northern and London and North Western Joint Railway at Marefield Junction. It opened on 2 October 1882...
, the joint line provided four trains taking 53 minutes compared to the Midland
Midland Railway
The Midland Railway was a railway company in the United Kingdom from 1844 to 1922, when it became part of the London, Midland and Scottish Railway....
's fourteen with a best of 24 minutes.
As a result, the joint line relied too much on traffic to and from minor intermediate village stations and by 1950 there were only two trains each way on the Leicester
Leicester Belgrave Road railway station
-Overview:Leicester Belgrave Road was the Great Northern Railway terminus in Leicester, England. It was the terminus of the GNR's branch line from the Great Northern and London and North Western Joint Railway at Marefield Junction. It opened on 2 October 1882...
to Grantham
Grantham railway station
Grantham railway station serves the town of Grantham in Lincolnshire, England and lies on the East Coast Main Line north of London Kings Cross.-Description:Junctions near the town also connect to branches to Nottingham, and to Sleaford and Skegness...
route, one of these was a semi-fast timed to connect with the Flying Scotsman
Flying Scotsman (train)
The Flying Scotsman is an express passenger train service that has been running between London and Edinburgh—the capitals of England and Scotland respectively—since 1862...
, but this was withdrawn in 1951. Regular services finally ceased on 7 December 1953. Summer specials, mainly Leicester to Skegness
Skegness railway station
Skegness railway station serves the seaside resort of Skegness in Lincolnshire, England.Services are operated by East Midlands Trains which run to and from Nottingham, where services originate or terminate.-History:...
or Mablethorpe
Mablethorpe railway station
Mablethorpe railway station was a station in the town of Mablethorpe, Lincolnshire which is now closed....
, which had always been the one bright spot for the line, survived until 1962. Through goods traffic lasted until 1964.
Goods
Many through goods trains used the line, especially between Market HarboroughMarket Harborough railway station
Market Harborough railway station serves the town of Market Harborough in Leicestershire, England. It lies on the Midland Main Line, 16 miles south-east of Leicester and is served by the fast and semi-fast East Midlands Trains Class 222 "Meridian"/HST services...
and Newark. Local traffic was mainly derived from ironstone workings near Waltham-on-the-Wolds. These working were served by a GNR branch line from Scalford
Scalford railway station
Scalford railway station was a railway station serving the village of Scalford, Leicestershire on the Great Northern and London and North Western Joint Railway. It opened in 1879 and closed to regular traffic in 1953. It was the junction for a branch line to Waltham on the Wolds which was built to...
opened on 5 April 1883. Waltham also had a station
Waltham on the Wolds railway station
Waltham on the Wolds railway station was a railway station serving the village of Waltham on the Wolds, Leicestershire. The station was on a branch line built by the Great Northern Railway from the Great Northern and London and North Western Joint Railway at Scalford to exploit ironstone deposits...
but it was only used for race specials and never had a regular service.
Closure
The line closed to regular passenger trains on 7 December 1953, but retained a healthy goods traffic and also the summer specials, but the specials ended and the through goods trains had been diverted onto other lines by 1962, when most of the line was closed.A few fragments remained in use for a few years: The goods, coal and petrol depots at Belgrave Road
Leicester Belgrave Road railway station
-Overview:Leicester Belgrave Road was the Great Northern Railway terminus in Leicester, England. It was the terminus of the GNR's branch line from the Great Northern and London and North Western Joint Railway at Marefield Junction. It opened on 2 October 1882...
were served by a rebuilt connection from the Midland Railway
Midland Railway
The Midland Railway was a railway company in the United Kingdom from 1844 to 1922, when it became part of the London, Midland and Scottish Railway....
. This connection had been built for the supply of materials during construction and not used since. The oil depot was the last to close, on 1 January 1969.
An oil depot at Redmile
Redmile railway station
Redmile railway station was a railway station serving the villages of Redmile and Barkestone-le-Vale, Nottinghamshire and also Belvoir Castle. It was on the Great Northern and London and North Western Joint Railway and opened in 1879 and closed to passengers in 1951 but remained in use for oil...
was served by the line from Bottesford
Bottesford railway station
Bottesford railway station serves the village of Bottesford in Leicestershire, England. The station is on the Nottingham to Grantham line east of Nottingham railway station....
. The curve from Bottesford south to west junction was rebuilt for this traffic, it had originally closed in 1882 after being found to be unnecessary as traffic for Nottingham naturally used the line via Barnstone
Barnstone railway station
Barnstone railway station was a railway station serving the villages of Barnstone, Granby and Langar, Nottinghamshire, on the Great Northern and London and North Western Joint Railway. It opened in 1879 and closed to regular traffic in 1953....
. The GNR owned section from Bottesford to Newark remained open until 1988.