Leicester Belgrave Road railway station

Leicester Belgrave Road
General information
LocationLeicester, Leicestershire,
England
Coordinates52°38′43″N 1°07′30″W / 52.6453°N 1.1250°W / 52.6453; -1.1250
Grid referenceSK592057
Platforms5
Other information
StatusDisused
History
Pre-groupingGreat Northern Railway
Post-groupingLondon and North Eastern Railway
Key dates
1 January 1883Opened
7 December 1953Closed to regular services
9 September 1962Closed to summer specials
Location

Leicester Belgrave Road was one of three railway stations that served the city of Leicester, in Leicestershire, England. It was the terminus of the Great Northern Railway's branch line from the Great Northern and London and North Western Joint Railway at Marefield Junction.

Opening

The station opened on 1 January 1883. Marefield Junction was triangular and allowed through running north or south.

Services

The main services from Leicester were to Peterborough and Grantham. 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 This service was withdrawn in 1951; the remaining stopping train survived until the end of regular services over the joint line in 1953.

Summer specials continued to run until 1962, in the later years with severe speed restrictions on the Leicester branch.[1]


Preceding station Disused railways Following station
Terminus   Great Northern Railway
Leicester Belgrave Road to Grantham
  Humberstone
Line and station closed
  Great Northern Railway
Leicester Belgrave Road to Peterborough North
 

Sample timetable for April 1910

The table below shows the train departures from Leicester Belgrave Road in April 1910:[2]

Departure Going to Calling at Arrival Operator
07.00 Peterborough North Humberstone, Thurnby & Scraptoft, Ingersby, Loseby, Tilton, East Norton, Hallaton, Medbourne, Rockingham, Seaton, Wakerley & Barrowden, King's Cliffe, Nassington, Wansford, Castor, Overton 08.48 GNR
07.30 Grantham Humberstone, Thurnby & Scraptoft, Ingersby, Loseby, John O'Gaunt, Great Dalby, Melton Mowbray North, Scalford, Long Clawson & Hose, Harby & Stathern, Redmile, Bottesford, Sedgebrook 09.10 GNR
09.00 Grantham Humberstone, Thurnby & Scraptoft, Ingersby, Loseby, John O'Gaunt, Great Dalby, Melton Mowbray North, Scalford, Long Clawson & Hose, Harby & Stathern, Redmile, Bottesford 10.28 GNR
09.45 Newark Northgate Humberstone, Thurnby & Scraptoft, Ingersby, Loseby, John O'Gaunt, Great Dalby, Melton Mowbray North, Scalford, Long Clawson & Hose, Harby & Stathern, Redmile, Cotham 11.10 GNR
10.15 Peterborough North Humberstone, Thurnby & Scraptoft, Ingersby, Loseby, Tilton, East Norton, Hallaton, Medbourne, Rockingham, Seaton, Wakerley & Barrowden, King's Cliffe, Nassington, Wansford, Castor, Overton 12.06 GNR
11.10 Grantham Humberstone, Thurnby & Scraptoft, Ingersby, Loseby, John O'Gaunt, Great Dalby, Melton Mowbray North, Scalford, Long Clawson & Hose, Harby & Stathern (Mon, Wed, Sat only) 12.50 GNR
12.40 Grantham Humberstone, Thurnby & Scraptoft, Ingersby, Loseby, John O'Gaunt, Great Dalby, Melton Mowbray North, Scalford, Long Clawson & Hose, Harby & Stathern, Redmile, Bottesford, Sedgebrook 14.12 GNR
15.45 Grantham Humberstone, Thurnby & Scraptoft, Ingersby, Loseby, John O'Gaunt, Great Dalby, Melton Mowbray North, Scalford, Long Clawson & Hose, Harby & Stathern, Redmile, Bottesford, Sedgebrook 17.15 GNR
16.00 Peterborough North Humberstone, Thurnby & Scraptoft, Ingersby, Loseby, Tilton, East Norton, Hallaton, Medbourne, Rockingham, Seaton, Wakerley & Barrowden, King's Cliffe, Nassington, Wansford, Castor 17.46 GNR
17.45 Grantham Humberstone, Thurnby & Scraptoft, Ingersby, Loseby, John O'Gaunt, Great Dalby, Melton Mowbray North, Scalford, Long Clawson & Hose, Harby & Stathern, Redmile, Bottesford 19.15 GNR
18.40 Loseby Humberstone, Thurnby & Scraptoft, Ingersby (Wed, Sat excepted) 19.01 GNR
18.40 Tilton Humberstone, Thurnby & Scraptoft, Ingersby, Loseby (Wed, Sat only) 19.06 GNR
20.20 Loseby Humberstone, Thurnby & Scraptoft, Ingersby (Wed, Sat excepted) 20.42 GNR
22.45 Grantham Thurnby & Scraptoft, Melton Mowbray North, Harby & Stathern (Sat excepted) 23.52 GNR
23.00 Melton Mowbray North Humberstone, Thurnby & Scraptoft, Ingersby, Loseby, John O'Gaunt 23.38 GNR

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.[3]

The site today

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

References

  1. ^ Leleux, Robin (1976). A Regional History of the Railways of Great Britain: Volume 9 - The East Midlands. Newton Abbot: David & Charles. ISBN 0-71537-165-7.
  2. ^ St John Thomas, David (1968). Bradshaw's April 1910 Railway Guide. Newton Abbot: David & Charles. ISBN 0-71534-246-0.
  3. ^ Anderson, P. Howard (1979). Forgotten Railways: The East Midlands. Newton Abbot: David & Charles. ISBN 0-71536-094-9.