The Great Central Railway is to extend the trial of a new timetable for its heritage trains that it started earlier this month.

The Railway, which next month will hold a fifty-wagon spectacular to celebrate its fiftieth birthday, is aiming to create more time in its schedules for visitors to meet the footplate crew.

Great Central runs heritage steam and diesel trains between Loughborough and Leicester North. When they reach their destination, the locomotive moves to the other end of the train for the return journey, a process known as ‘running round’.

The new trial timetable added ten minutes at Leicester North station so visitors alighting now have the chance to ‘stretch their legs’ and experience the Railway’s heritage steam and diesel locomotives in person.

Great Central trialled the new timetable during services over the bank holiday weekend, 6-8 May. It will now use the timetable again during the late May bank holiday (29 May), and again for a special gala event celebrating fifty years of trains on the heritage line over the weekend of 17 and 18 June.

General Manager of the Great Central Railway Malcolm Holmes said, “We know so many of our visitors now have no direct memory of steam locos when they ran on Britain’s railways, but are still fascinated by them. By changing our timetable and allowing trains to wait for longer at Leicester North we want to encourage families to stand on the footplate of a steam engine, feel the heat of the fire and meet our engine crews. It’s part of our drive to make every visit rewarding and full of memories.”

Malcolm concluded, “We hope to inspire new generations to come and volunteer with us and learn to drive locomotives themselves. Once upon a time it was said everyone wanted to grow up and be an engine driver and we want to awaken that passion!”