The Great Central Railway is introducing a new timetable for its heritage trains, aiming to encourage enthusiasts to visit the locomotive footplate and meet the driver and fireman.

The new timetable adds an extra ten minutes at Leicester North station so that passengers have the opportunity to experience the line’s heritage steam and diesel locomotives in person while the train is prepared for its return journey,

Great Central, which hosted a popular diesel gala last month, runs 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 in railway slang as ‘running round’.

The timetable change was trialled last weekend, and will be used again on the late May Bank Holiday (29 May) and again for a special gala event on 17 and 18 June celebrating fifty years of trains on the heritage line.

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!”