Great Central Railway (Nottingham) Ltd (GCRN) has received a grant of £40,000 of grant that will allow it to complete a part-finished carriage shed building that will accommodate four operational passenger carriages.

The £40,000 funding was granted by Rushcliffe Borough Council, coming from the UK Shared Prosperity Fund (UKSPF) and Rural England Prosperity Fund (REPF), which are part of the UK Government’s Levelling Up agenda that provides funding for local investment.

East Midlands Railway Trust and LNER (GC) Heritage Trust will provide match funding to allow the building to be completed so that the four carriages can be housed under cover, which will protect them from the elements and vandalism, as well as provide room for a small workshop.

Before GCRN received confirmation of the funding, volunteers had carried out preparatory work to lay sidings into the partly built shed. The work carried out by the volunteers comes within the criteria for being counted as a match funding contribution to the project.

With the completion of the carriage shed, the railway will be able to provide covered storage for carriages as well as for locomotives in its heritage-style locomotive shed and engineering works. The line has recently become the home depot for London and North Eastern Railway B1 Class steam locomotive No. 1264.

George Green, Infrastructure Director of GCRN, said “This is another essential step on the road to reopening the northern section of the Great Central Railway.”

“Known as Building No 4, the project had been underway for some time before the pandemic intervened, and funds dried up. The Shared Prosperity funding is essential and will get the build back on track. All being well, priceless heritage carriages will be safely inside by the end of this calendar year and this in turn will help reopen the railway from Ruddington to Loughborough.

“It will also encourage tourism, current and future volunteers and cut vandalism in the area.”

David Rae, Chairman of the East Midlands Railway Trust said “We’re delighted to support Great Central Railway (Nottingham). Protecting heritage for future generations is key to a thriving tourism economy in Rushcliffe. The carriage shed will be a terrific facility.”

Andy Fillingham, Chairman of the LNER (GC) Heritage Trust said, “We’re all looking to a future where our railway connects to the Great Central Railway in Leicestershire, and we have heritage trains and passengers travelling across the East Midlands. Keeping a train’s worth of carriages safe and sound is an essential investment towards that vision.”

George Green continues, “We also hope to be able to use the completed building as an additional event space, for example, to stage craft festivals and exhibitions, thus encouraging more visitors to the vibrant Nottingham Transport Heritage Centre”.

“The funding from the UK Shared Prosperity Fund and Rural England Prosperity Fund is another demonstration that the Great Central Railway (Nottingham)’s revival is well underway. We are determined to offer great tourism potential to the area, play our part in showing the next generation how our heritage can be treasured and get ready to reunify our line with the GCR in Leicestershire. These are exciting times, and we thank the Council and charities for their faith and investment.”