Great Central Railway Bridge.

Carrying a road over the former trackbed.

It is hard to believe that this was once a main railway line running from London to Sheffield via Leicester and Nottingham. The former Great Central Railway in Rugby is now a footpath.

The last of the main north south routes to be built, but was closed following the notorious Beeching Report. The line had great ambitions. It was designed with high speeds in mind, and international traffic – even to the extent of dreams of a Channel Tunnel. This meant that it had a larger than normal loading gauge.

Following nationalisation, historic rivalry proved its downfall. The old Midland Railway saw it as unwanted competition. When it was transferred from the Eastern Region of the fledgling British Railways, the Great Central Railway fell into the hands of the Midland Region. Management loyalties meant that traffic was taken away from the line, resulting in its under use.

Ironically, this line resembles much of the controversial HS2, both in design and route. Although some key sections have been built over, much of the old formation is still extant. In Loughborough, part of the line has been preserved.

Here in Rugby, life is far more pedestrian! The Great Central Railway provides a popular walkway. The former Rugby Central station has been demolished – just the platform still remains.

Photograph Details:

• Taken: 12 Nov 2017
• Camera: Olympus OM-D E-M10 MkIIA
• Lens: Olympus 14-42mm 1:3.5-5.6
• Focal Length 42mm
• F/5.6
• 1/400 Sec
• ISO 200