The Great Central Railway holds a special appeal to a large number of railway enthusiasts. The company name was adopted to reflect the new found status of the Manchester, Sheffield & Lincolnshire Railway upon the advent of the extension of its operations into London. This was achieved by the construction of a brand new mainline railway between Annesley junction to the north of Nottingham and the northern-most extent of the Metropolitan Railway.
A terminus station was built in the capital at Marylebone and when it was opened for services in 1899 the extension became the final mainline to be constructed in the UK. 1960s rail network rationalisation resulted in closure of the route and sadly nowadays little remains of it. In this video we see archive cine footage from the 1960s, along with coverage of surviving sections which include the preservation concerns that are based at Quainton Road, Loughborough and Ruddington. Centenary celebrations are covered at both Marylebone and Loughborough, where the 'mainline feel' is once again apparent with the opening of the new double track section.