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| Mind the Gap: Great Central Railway to be joined after 40 years | Mind the Gap: Great Central Railway to be joined after 40 years |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| Work to reconnect two parts of a railway line which was divided into two over three decades ago is set to begin. | Work to reconnect two parts of a railway line which was divided into two over three decades ago is set to begin. |
| The Great Central Railway, between Leicester and Nottingham, was left with a 500m gap after infrastructure, including bridges, were removed. | The Great Central Railway, between Leicester and Nottingham, was left with a 500m gap after infrastructure, including bridges, were removed. |
| A new bridge, in Loughborough, is the first stage to rejoin the 18-mile (29km) railway, described by GCR as the "UK's only main line heritage railway". | A new bridge, in Loughborough, is the first stage to rejoin the 18-mile (29km) railway, described by GCR as the "UK's only main line heritage railway". |
| The £8m project is due to be completed by 2019. | The £8m project is due to be completed by 2019. |
| Updates on this story and updates from Leicestershire | |
| One section of the railway runs from Leicester to Loughborough - the GCR - and the other from Ruddington, in Nottinghamshire, to North-West Leicestershire - the GCRN. | One section of the railway runs from Leicester to Loughborough - the GCR - and the other from Ruddington, in Nottinghamshire, to North-West Leicestershire - the GCRN. |
| Separating the two railways is the gap where tracks, embankments and bridges were removed in the early 1980's. | Separating the two railways is the gap where tracks, embankments and bridges were removed in the early 1980's. |
| Great Central Railway History | Great Central Railway History |
| Source: GCR and GCRN | Source: GCR and GCRN |
| The new 30m bridge will carry a single track of the heritage railway over the main line between Derby and London St Pancras. | The new 30m bridge will carry a single track of the heritage railway over the main line between Derby and London St Pancras. |
| Bill Ford, of GCR, said the start of the project was "a very exciting moment". | Bill Ford, of GCR, said the start of the project was "a very exciting moment". |
| "We have cherished this vision for decades, so to finally make a start on the ground is very important for us," he said. | "We have cherished this vision for decades, so to finally make a start on the ground is very important for us," he said. |
| Nicky Morgan, MP for Loughborough, will perform a traditional Victorian style "turf cutting" ceremony to mark the start of the work. | Nicky Morgan, MP for Loughborough, will perform a traditional Victorian style "turf cutting" ceremony to mark the start of the work. |
| Paul Kirkman, of the National Railway Museum, said: "Leicester had one of the world's earliest railways and was also a hub of the Midland line. | Paul Kirkman, of the National Railway Museum, said: "Leicester had one of the world's earliest railways and was also a hub of the Midland line. |
| "This joining of the line seems another positive step towards making the area and region rich in railway heritage, and inspiring a new generation to get involved in our nation's railway story." | "This joining of the line seems another positive step towards making the area and region rich in railway heritage, and inspiring a new generation to get involved in our nation's railway story." |
| The project also involves reinstating embankments and repairing other bridges which have survived along the gap. |