Leicester Belgrave Road railway station

Infobox UK disused station
name = Leicester Belgrave Road
gridref = SK592057


caption =
manager = Great Northern Railway
owner = LNER
locale = Leicester
borough = Leicestershire
platforms = 5
years = 1 January 1883
events = Opened
years1 = 7 December 1953
events1 = Closed to regular services
years2 = 9 September 1962
events2 = Closed to summer specials

Overview

Leicester Belgrave Road was the Great Northern Railway terminus in Leicester, England. It was the terminus of the GNR's branch line from the Great Northern and London and North Western Joint Railway at Marefield Junction. It opened on 2 October 1882. Marefield Junction was triangular and allowed through running north or south.

ervices

The main services from Leicester were to Peterborough and Grantham, but the station was also well provided in summer with specials, especially to Skegness and Mablethorpe.

The Peterborough trains were stopped as a war economy in 1916. Local traffic was never heavy, and by 1950 there were only two Grantham trains remaining, one of which was a semi-fast with limited stops which connected with the Flying Scotsman at Grantham. This train was withdrawn in 1951, the remaining stopping train survived until the end of regular services over the joint line in 1953.

Summer specials, however, continued to run until 1962, in the later years with severe speed restrictions on the Leicester branch. [A Regional History of the Railways of Great Britain. Volume 9 - The East Midlands. (Robin Leleux)]

Closure

The line closed in 1962 but various depots continued in use for a few years using a reinstated connection with the Midland Railway which had last been used for materials delivery during construction. The last of these, Catherine Street oil depot, closed on 1 January 1969. [Fogotten Railways. The East Midlands. (P Anderson)]

The station site has been since been developed as a supermarket and adjoining car park.

ummary of Former Services

ample Train Timetable for April 1910

The table below shows the train departures from Leicester Belgrave Road in April 1910. [Bradshaw's Railway Guide, April 1910]

References

External links

[http://www.meltonmowbray.steamrailways.com/Leics%20Belgave.htm GNR spur to Leicester Belgrave Road]