HSTs in 2004'

 

HST power car 43074 in Leicester station in 2004

Midland Mainline HST power car 43071 into Leicester station in 2004 from London

Midland Mainline HST power car 43053 into Leicester station in 2004 from London

HST power car 43155 in  Leicester station in 2004

This ex Virgin Cross Country power car City of Aberdeen was unbranded at the rear of a train. I think it is now with First Great Western.

Three Midland Mainline HSTs in Leicester station

The large station at Leicester is on the Midland main line from London to Sheffield.  To the south of the station the line to Nuneaton and Birmingham leaves to the west. To the north at Syston junction the line to Melton Mowbray Oakham and stamford  and Peterborough leves the MML to the east.

All of the Birmingham to Peterborough and then on to Ely and Cambridgeand onto Stansted Airport stop at Leicester station. How import this station is can be seen by how many passengers get on or off certain trains.

The station today is clean and does the job but it's a pity like Bedford along the line that more of the Midland station was not saved. The old signal and boxes have been replaced with colour lights and most of the sidings along the line have been removed. There is just the one main yard north of the station.

Like other stations on the Midland Main Line there are next train panels giving the present time and when the next train on that platform is due.

There was also a Great Central Railway station in Leicester called Leicester Central, which closed in 1969. Part of the old Great Central Railway has now been reopened as a steam railway The Great Central Railway  It has a station in Leicester called Leicester North. The present Leicester North is all new but is only yards away from a station that was called Belgrave & Birstall. This new station was be made to Great Central design but local planing laws and site excess has stopped as large a station as might have been built here being built.

Todays Great Central Railway runs from Loughborough to Leicester North station close to the Leicester outer ring road. Ther are also stations on the line at Rothey and at Quorn & Woodhouse. The head quarters of the railway is at Loughborough were the engine shed is and the main shop ect.. The railway has a large collection of steam and diesel engines. The railway is open weekends and bank holidays and daily from June to September.

There was also a station at Leicester Belgrave Road, which is now closed. This was Great Northern Railway terminus.