The Great Central Railway has appointed a new general manager who brings with him a wealth of transport management and local government experience.

Malcolm Holmes, who has been a volunteer at the line for nearly 30 years, is the railway’s new general manager.

His first task will be to oversee a key project to replace two bridges on the heritage main line near Quorn, which is scheduled to be completed by the end of this month. Once they have been completed, it will mean that four bridges will have been replaced in the last 12 months.

The work has been made possible with the support of the lines membership group, the Friends of the Great Central Main Line, and its official supporting charity, the David Clarke Railway Trust.

The bridge repairs are expected to be complete by the end of March so that the whole line can reopen in time for steam and heritage diesel passenger trains to resume at Easter 2023.

The Great Central Railway was built in the 1890s and closed by British Rail in the 1960s, and the structures that have been replaced were deemed to be beyond economic repair. Whilst the route between Loughborough Central and Rothley has been closed, services have been running between Leicester North and the relaid branch line to Mountsorrel.

Malcolm said “I am delighted to be making a formal start at the railway. I’m looking forward to working with the talented team and driving forward our development. Heritage railways face increasing challenges, not least running safely and maintaining ageing infrastructure and equipment. We need to ensure a new generation of supporters get on board and help raise funds to expand and thrive in the twenty-first century. I am really excited by the work ahead.”

“The branch trains have been very popular, and have helped keep an income flowing in, while the bridge repairs continue. It shows what a tremendously flexible asset the railway is. Meanwhile investing in repairs and maintenance is vital to our safe operation and protecting the tremendous tourist pulling power we offer the East Midlands.”

Richard Patching, Chairman of the Great Central Railway PLCs board of directors said, “Malcolm is a great fit with our organisation which relies on a mix of paid employees and volunteers. He understands the nuts and bolts of operation and combines that with a good strategic vision. We celebrate fifty years of running heritage trains this year and Malcolm will move us into the next fifty.”