Loughborough railway station
Encyclopedia
Loughborough railway station serves the town of Loughborough
in Leicestershire
, England
. Situated on the Midland Main Line
, 20 km (12½ miles) north of Leicester
, the station lies to the north-east of the town centre.
More than 1.3 million people entered and left the station in the twelve months to March 2010, an increase of nearly two hundred thousand in five years. This makes it the 322nd most-used Network Rail station. In addition, it was estimated that more than 7,397 people used the station to change trains.
, which was shortly to join the North Midland Railway
and the Birmingham and Derby Junction Railway
to form the Midland Railway
) was sited a little further south.
The present station was built in 1872 when the track was quadrupled and has retained much of its characteristically Midland Railway architecture
, apart from the fact that its canopies have been cut back. The station is grade II listed
It became known as "Loughborough Midland" when Loughborough had three stations; Loughborough Derby Road
(opened 1883 on the Charnwood Forest Railway
, owned by London and North Western Railway
from 1923 and closed to passengers in 1931) and Loughborough Central
(Great Central Railway
now used by the Great Central Railway (preserved)
).
In future, there is to be a Loughborough Midland High-Level in which passengers could interchange with both network rail and the heritage GCSR as the line is currently undergoing a heritage regeneration project.
layout. A third, short platform was created on the down slow line for the commencement of Ivanhoe Line passenger services in 1993.
In 2000 passenger information systems were updated and now use dot matrix
display screens. Loughborough no longer retains a manual Tannoy
system which was replaced by an automated voice on 13 July 2011. In 2006 automatic ticket gates
were installed on all approaches to the station in order to cut down on fare evasion
, these were complemented with ticket vending machines
and additional FastTicket machines
. Other facilities include bicycle racks, paid car parking, a shop and snack bar, public telephones and toilets. Taxis and buses are available outside; however, the bus to East Midlands Airport was withdrawn in 2010.
Due to a narrow road bridge, the usable length of the station platforms is shorter than most express trains. Passengers arriving from London, Derby or Sheffield may need to move down the train before arrival in order to get off, usually to the front four carriages.
It is planned that all platforms will be extended by up to 177 metres by no later than 2012.
As of 8 October 2011, the pre-assembled lift support shafts have been installed on both the left and central platforms; these have not yet been completed and no lift cars are visible within. It has become apparent that the existing footbridge will be removed to a heritage railway, and a new footbridge installed in its place.
Despite no indication that such a facility exists on the station map produced by National Rail/ATOC, a disabled toilet is provided on platform one of the station, accessible via the waiting room on this platform. The entrance doors to both this area and the toilet itself however, are large and cumbersome and lack any assistive devices, such as powered door mechanisms.
, going south to Leicester
, Kettering
, Bedford
, Luton
and London; and north to Derby
, Nottingham
, Chesterfield
and Sheffield
.
East Midlands Trains
(EMT) operate the station as well as all services.
The usual Monday - Saturday service pattern is as follows:
Loughborough
Loughborough is a town within the Charnwood borough of Leicestershire, England. It is the seat of Charnwood Borough Council and is home to Loughborough University...
in 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...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. Situated on the Midland Main Line
Midland Main Line
The Midland Main Line is a major railway route in the United Kingdom, part of the British railway system.The present-day line links London St...
, 20 km (12½ miles) north of Leicester
Leicester railway station
Leicester railway station serves the City of Leicester in Leicestershire, England.As of late 2009 Leicester is a Penalty fare station, a valid ticket or Permit to travel must be shown when requested.-Background:...
, the station lies to the north-east of the town centre.
More than 1.3 million people entered and left the station in the twelve months to March 2010, an increase of nearly two hundred thousand in five years. This makes it the 322nd most-used Network Rail station. In addition, it was estimated that more than 7,397 people used the station to change trains.
History
The original station (opened in 1840 by the Midland Counties RailwayMidland Counties Railway
The Midland Counties Railway was a railway company in the United Kingdom which existed between 1832 and 1844, connecting Nottingham, Leicester and Derby with Rugby and thence, via the London and Birmingham Railway, to London. The MCR system connected with the North Midland Railway and the...
, which was shortly to join the North Midland Railway
North Midland Railway
The North Midland Railway was a British railway company, which opened its line from Derby to Rotherham and Leeds in 1840.At Derby it connected with the Birmingham and Derby Junction Railway and the Midland Counties Railway at what became known as the Tri Junct Station...
and the Birmingham and Derby Junction Railway
Birmingham and Derby Junction Railway
The Birmingham and Derby Junction Railway was a British railway company. From Birmingham it connected at Derby with the North Midland Railway and the Midland Counties Railway at what became known as the Tri Junct Station...
to form 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....
) was sited a little further south.
The present station was built in 1872 when the track was quadrupled and has retained much of its characteristically Midland Railway architecture
Architecture
Architecture is both the process and product of planning, designing and construction. Architectural works, in the material form of buildings, are often perceived as cultural and political symbols and as works of art...
, apart from the fact that its canopies have been cut back. The station is grade II listed
It became known as "Loughborough Midland" when Loughborough had three stations; Loughborough Derby Road
Loughborough Derby Road railway station
-History:The station was opened by the Charnwood Forest Railway on 16 April 1883. It was the terminus of their line from Coalville. The CFR was operated by the London and North Western Railway from the outset, but remained independent until absorbed into the London, Midland and Scottish Railway ,...
(opened 1883 on the Charnwood Forest Railway
Charnwood Forest Railway
The Charnwood Forest Railway was a branch line in Leicestershire constructed by the Charnwood Forest Company between 1881 and 1883. The branch line ran from Coalville to the town of Loughborough....
, owned by 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...
from 1923 and closed to passengers in 1931) and Loughborough Central
Loughborough Central railway station
Loughborough Central Station is a railway station on the Great Central Railway and the Great Central Railway serving Loughborough....
(Great Central Railway
Great 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...
now used by the Great Central Railway (preserved)
Great Central Railway (preserved)
The Great Central Railway is a heritage railway split into two adjacent sections, one in Leicestershire and the other Nottinghamshire.The Leicestershire section is currently Britain's only double track mainline heritage railway, with of working double track, period signalling, locomotives and...
).
In future, there is to be a Loughborough Midland High-Level in which passengers could interchange with both network rail and the heritage GCSR as the line is currently undergoing a heritage regeneration project.
Facilities
The station is a staffed station based on a side platformSide platform
A Side platform is a platform positioned to the side of a pair of tracks at a railway station, a tram stop or a transitway. A pair of side platforms are often provided on a dual track line with a single side platform being sufficient for a single track line...
layout. A third, short platform was created on the down slow line for the commencement of Ivanhoe Line passenger services in 1993.
In 2000 passenger information systems were updated and now use dot matrix
Dot matrix
A dot matrix is a 2-dimensional array of LED used to represent characters, symbols and images.Typically the dot matrix is used in older computer printers and many digital display devices. In printers, the dots are usually the darkened areas of the paper...
display screens. Loughborough no longer retains a manual Tannoy
Tannoy
Tannoy Ltd is a Scottish-based manufacturer of loudspeakers and public-address systems. The company was founded in London, England as Tulsemere Manufacturing Company in 1926, but has been based in Coatbridge, Scotland, since the 1970s...
system which was replaced by an automated voice on 13 July 2011. In 2006 automatic ticket gates
Turnstile
A turnstile, also called a baffle gate, is a form of gate which allows one person to pass at a time. It can also be made so as to enforce one-way traffic of people, and in addition, it can restrict passage only to people who insert a coin, a ticket, a pass, or similar...
were installed on all approaches to the station in order to cut down on fare evasion
Fare evasion
Fare evasion, as distinct from fare avoidance, is the act of travelling on public transport in disregard of the law and/or regulation, having deliberately not purchased the required ticket to travel . It is a problem in many parts of the world, and revenue protection officers operate on many systems...
, these were complemented with ticket vending machines
Scheidt & Bachmann Ticket XPress
The Scheidt & Bachmann Ticket XPress system is a passenger-operated, self-service railway ticket issuing system developed and manufactured by the German systems development and production group Scheidt & Bachmann GmbH, based in the city of Mönchengladbach...
and additional FastTicket machines
Shere FASTticket
The Shere FASTticket system is a passenger-operated, self-service railway ticket issuing system, developed by the Guildford-based company Shere Ltd and first introduced on a trial basis in Britain in 1996, shortly after privatisation...
. Other facilities include bicycle racks, paid car parking, a shop and snack bar, public telephones and toilets. Taxis and buses are available outside; however, the bus to East Midlands Airport was withdrawn in 2010.
Current access
Disabled passengers travelling south may need staff assistance to reach platforms 2 and 3 using the barrow crossing, as the footbridge does not have any lifts. The northbound platform 1 is accessible without steps. Despite plans to improve access to the other platforms, as of January 2010 no changes have been made.Due to a narrow road bridge, the usable length of the station platforms is shorter than most express trains. Passengers arriving from London, Derby or Sheffield may need to move down the train before arrival in order to get off, usually to the front four carriages.
Future access
Although plans to improve access for all at the listed station have been talked about for many years, very little has changed or improved. Loughborough Eastern Gateway aims to improve the area around the station as well as the station itself. Work started on the scheme in March 2010.It is planned that all platforms will be extended by up to 177 metres by no later than 2012.
As of 8 October 2011, the pre-assembled lift support shafts have been installed on both the left and central platforms; these have not yet been completed and no lift cars are visible within. It has become apparent that the existing footbridge will be removed to a heritage railway, and a new footbridge installed in its place.
Despite no indication that such a facility exists on the station map produced by National Rail/ATOC, a disabled toilet is provided on platform one of the station, accessible via the waiting room on this platform. The entrance doors to both this area and the toilet itself however, are large and cumbersome and lack any assistive devices, such as powered door mechanisms.
Refurbishment
A £7 million package of improvements was started at the station in June 2010. Platforms are to be extended to accommodate the longest trains which serve the station, lifts to provide access to all platforms, and refurbishment of the existing ticket office, waiting rooms and glass platform canopies.Service patterns
Rail routes run north-south through Loughborough along the route known as the Midland Main LineMidland Main Line
The Midland Main Line is a major railway route in the United Kingdom, part of the British railway system.The present-day line links London St...
, going south to Leicester
Leicester
Leicester is a city and unitary authority in the East Midlands of England, and the county town of Leicestershire. The city lies on the River Soar and at the edge of the National Forest...
, Kettering
Kettering
Kettering is a market town in the Borough of Kettering, Northamptonshire, England. It is situated about from London. Kettering is mainly situated on the west side of the River Ise, a tributary of the River Nene which meets at Wellingborough...
, Bedford
Bedford
Bedford is the county town of Bedfordshire, in the East of England. It is a large town and the administrative centre for the wider Borough of Bedford. According to the former Bedfordshire County Council's estimates, the town had a population of 79,190 in mid 2005, with 19,720 in the adjacent town...
, Luton
Luton
Luton is a large town and unitary authority of Bedfordshire, England, 30 miles north of London. Luton and its near neighbours, Dunstable and Houghton Regis, form the Luton/Dunstable Urban Area with a population of about 250,000....
and London; and north to Derby
Derby
Derby , is a city and unitary authority in the East Midlands region of England. It lies upon the banks of the River Derwent and is located in the south of the ceremonial county of Derbyshire. In the 2001 census, the population of the city was 233,700, whilst that of the Derby Urban Area was 229,407...
, Nottingham
Nottingham
Nottingham is a city and unitary authority in the East Midlands of England. It is located in the ceremonial county of Nottinghamshire and represents one of eight members of the English Core Cities Group...
, Chesterfield
Chesterfield
Chesterfield is a market town and a borough of Derbyshire, England. It lies north of Derby, on a confluence of the rivers Rother and Hipper. Its population is 70,260 , making it Derbyshire's largest town...
and Sheffield
Sheffield
Sheffield is a city and metropolitan borough of South Yorkshire, England. Its name derives from the River Sheaf, which runs through the city. Historically a part of the West Riding of Yorkshire, and with some of its southern suburbs annexed from Derbyshire, the city has grown from its largely...
.
East Midlands Trains
East Midlands Trains
East Midlands Trains is a British passenger train operating company. Based in Derby, it provides train services in the East Midlands, chiefly in the counties of Lincolnshire, South Yorkshire, Nottinghamshire, Leicestershire, Derbyshire and Northamptonshire, and between the East Midlands and London...
(EMT) operate the station as well as all services.
The usual Monday - Saturday service pattern is as follows:
- Platform one -
- Hourly East Midlands Trains service to Sheffield via Derby and ChesterfieldChesterfield railway stationEntrance to the station is on Crow Lane and includes a car park, taxi rank and bus stop. There is also a small car park on the other side of Crow Lane which does not have a parking charge. The main entrance leads to the station concourse, which is very spacious and was built in the late 1990s. It...
- Hourly East Midlands Trains service to Nottingham via BeestonBeeston railway stationBeeston railway station is a railway station on the Midland Main Line which serves the town of Beeston in Nottinghamshire, England. It lies south west of Nottingham railway station...
- Hourly East Midlands Trains service to Sheffield via Derby and Chesterfield
- Platform two -
- Hourly fast East Midlands Trains service to London St Pancras InternationalSt Pancras railway stationSt Pancras railway station, also known as London St Pancras and since 2007 as St Pancras International, is a central London railway terminus celebrated for its Victorian architecture. The Grade I listed building stands on Euston Road in St Pancras, London Borough of Camden, between the...
via LeicesterLeicester railway stationLeicester railway station serves the City of Leicester in Leicestershire, England.As of late 2009 Leicester is a Penalty fare station, a valid ticket or Permit to travel must be shown when requested.-Background:... - Hourly semi-fast East Midlands Trains service to London St Pancras InternationalSt Pancras railway stationSt Pancras railway station, also known as London St Pancras and since 2007 as St Pancras International, is a central London railway terminus celebrated for its Victorian architecture. The Grade I listed building stands on Euston Road in St Pancras, London Borough of Camden, between the...
via KetteringKettering railway stationKettering railway station is to the south-west of the Kettering town centre in Northamptonshire, England. It lies on the Midland Main Line, north of London St...
, Bedford and Luton Airport ParkwayLuton Airport Parkway railway station| Luton Airport Parkway railway station is the railway station for London Luton Airport in Bedfordshire, England. The station opened in 1999 and is located south-east of Luton and west of the airport....
- Hourly fast East Midlands Trains service to London St Pancras International
- Platform three -
- Hourly local East Midlands Trains service to LincolnLincoln Central railway stationLincoln Central railway station serves the city of Lincoln in Lincolnshire, England. The station is operated by East Midlands Trains, who provide services along with Northern Rail and East Coast....
via East Midlands ParkwayEast Midlands Parkway railway stationEast Midlands Parkway is a railway station located north of Ratcliffe-on-Soar on the Midland Main Line in the East Midlands of England. It provides park and ride facilities for rail passengers on the routes from Leicester to Derby and Nottingham...
, Nottingham and Newark with peak hour trains to SleafordSleaford railway stationSleaford railway station is one of two stations serving the town of Sleaford in Lincolnshire, England; the other station being Rauceby railway station... - Hourly local East Midlands Trains service to LeicesterLeicester railway stationLeicester railway station serves the City of Leicester in Leicestershire, England.As of late 2009 Leicester is a Penalty fare station, a valid ticket or Permit to travel must be shown when requested.-Background:...
via SystonSyston railway stationSyston railway station is a railway station serving the town of Syston in Leicestershire, England. The station is located on the Midland Main Line between Leicester to Loughborough, 103¾ miles from London St Pancras....
- Hourly local East Midlands Trains service to Lincoln