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Loughborough railway station

{{Short description|Railway station in Leicestershire, England}}

{{About|the National Rail station in Loughborough, Leicestershire|the station in South London|Loughborough Junction railway station|the heritage station on the Great Central Railway|Loughborough Central railway station}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=March 2015}}

{{Use British English|date=March 2015}}

{{Infobox station

| name = Loughborough

| symbol_location = gb

| symbol = rail

| image = Loughborough railway station 01.jpg

| borough = Loughborough, Borough of Charnwood

| country = England

| grid_name = Grid reference

| grid_position = {{gbmapscaled|SK543204|25|SK543204}}

| manager = East Midlands Railway

| platforms = 3

| tracks = 4

| code = LBO

| classification = DfT category C1

| opened = 1872

| mpassengers =

{{Rail pass box |pass_year=2019/20 |passengers={{decrease}} 1.331 million |interchange={{pad|1em}}{{decrease}} 58,269}}

{{Rail pass box |pass_year=2020/21 |passengers={{decrease}} 0.299 million |interchange={{pad|1em}}{{decrease}} 10,719}}

{{Rail pass box |pass_year=2021/22 |passengers={{increase}} 0.963 million |interchange={{pad|1em}}{{increase}} 34,530}}

{{Rail pass box |pass_year=2022/23 |passengers={{increase}} 1.227 million |interchange={{pad|1em}}{{decrease}} 13,513}}

{{Rail pass box |pass_year=2023/24 |passengers={{increase}} 1.287 million |interchange={{pad|1em}}{{decrease}} 12,882}}

| footnotes = Passenger statistics from the Office of Rail and Road

| embedded = {{Infobox designation list|embed=yes

| designation1 = Grade II

| designation1_feature = Loughborough railway station

| designation1_date = 5 May 1981

| designation1_number = 1320325{{National Heritage List for England|num=1320325|desc=Loughborough Railway Station |access-date=30 December 2016|mode=cs2}}

}}

| mapframe = yes

| mapframe-zoom = 13

}}

Loughborough is a Grade II listed railway station in the town of Loughborough, Leicestershire; it is on the Midland Main Line and is located {{convert|111|mi|km}} north of London St Pancras. The station is sited in the north-east of the town centre.

History

The original station (opened in 1840 by the Midland Counties Railway, which was shortly to join the North Midland Railway and the Birmingham and Derby Junction Railway to form the Midland Railway) was sited a little further south.Higginson, M, (1989) The Midland Counties Railway: A Pictorial Survey, Derby: Midland Railway Trust.

The present station was built in 1872. The ironwork was constructed by Mr. Richards of Leicester, and the stone portion by Mr. Cox of Leicester.{{cite news |author= |title=Loughborough. New Railway Station - Commemorative Supper |url=http://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000205/18720628/025/0007 |newspaper=Leicester Journal |location=British Newspaper Archive |date=28 June 1872 |access-date=27 July 2016 |via = British Newspaper Archive |url-access=subscription }} The track was quadrupled and has retained much of its characteristically Midland Railway architecture, apart from the fact that its canopies have been cut back.Radford, B., (1983) Midland Line Memories: a Pictorial History of the Midland Railway Main Line Between London (St Pancras) & Derby London: Bloomsbury Books The station is grade II listed.{{cite web |url=http://www.charnwood.gov.uk/environment/loughborough-statutorylist.html#loughborough18b |title=Historic and Listed Buildings in Loughborough |website=www.charnwood.gov.uk |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071011155945/http://www.charnwood.gov.uk/environment/loughborough-statutorylist.html |archive-date=11 October 2007}}

It became known as "Loughborough Midland" when Loughborough had three stations; Loughborough Derby Road (opened in 1883 on the Charnwood Forest Railway, owned by London and North Western Railway from 1923 and closed to passengers in 1931) and Loughborough Central (Great Central Railway now used by the heritage railway bearing the same name).

Facilities

The station is staffed and has a side platform layout. A third, short platform was created on the down slow line for the commencement of Ivanhoe Line passenger services in 1993.

In 2000 passenger information systems were updated and now use dot matrix display screens. In 2006 automatic ticket gates were installed on all approaches to the station in order to cut down on fare evasion, these were complemented with ticket vending machines and additional FastTicket machines. The manual Tannoy system was replaced by an automated voice on 13 July 2011.{{citation needed|date=July 2011}}

Other facilities include bicycle racks, paid car parking, a shop and snack bar, public telephones and toilets. Taxis and buses are available outside; however, the bus to East Midlands Airport was withdrawn in 2010. Although the local Skylink service still operates from the town centre.

= Refurbishment =

Up until 2012 access to all but platform 1 was awkward for many passengers. The station had a footbridge and a barrow crossing to access platforms 2 and 3, in addition since the early 1990s the usable length of the two main platforms was four coaches due to the A60 road bridge.{{Cite web | url=http://www.loughboroughecho.net/news/loughborough-news/2008/06/26/railway-station-s-future-to-be-discussed-in-parliament-73871-21153825/ |title = Railway Station's Future to be Discussed in Parliament|date = 26 June 2008}}

Loughborough Eastern Gateway{{cite news|url=http://www.charnwood.gov.uk/files/documents/loughborough_town_centre_masterplan_key_development_sites1/loughboroughtowncentreplan-publi.pdf|title=7 Key Development Sites, Loughborough Eastern Gateway}} a locally led project proved to be the catalyst after many years of proposals to improve the station. The scheme got underway in March 2010.{{cite news|url=http://www.prospectleicestershire.co.uk/news/a-new-station-gateway|title=A New Station Gateway for Loughborough|work=Prospect leicestershire|access-date=2010-03-11}}{{Dead link|date=July 2019 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}

A £7 million package of improvements was started at the station in June 2010.{{cite web|url=http://rail-news.com/2010/06/01/olympic-upgrade-for-loughborough-station/|title=Olympic upgrade for Loughborough station|access-date=2010-06-06|publisher=Rail-News.com|date=June 2010}} Platforms were extended to accommodate the longest trains which serve the station, lifts were provided to access all platforms, and refurbishment of the existing ticket office, waiting rooms and glass platform canopies.

The extended platforms 1 & 2 are capable of handling 10-car trains; and the extended platform 3 can handle up to 7-car trains.{{cite news|url=http://www.therailengineer.com/2012/01/09/considering-loughborough/|title=Considering Loughborough|date=9 January 2012|first=Stuart|last=Rackley|work=Rail Engineer|publisher=Rail Media|access-date=6 June 2012}}

The new facilities were opened in good time for the 2012 British and Japanese Olympic squads basing themselves in the town.https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-17953494 Station revamp

Services

= National Rail =

Rail routes run north–south through Loughborough along the route known as the Midland Main Line, going south to London; and north to Derby, Nottingham and Sheffield.{{NRtimes|May 2016|53}}

East Midlands Railway (EMR) operate the station as well as all services.

The usual Monday - Saturday service pattern is as follows:

{{rail start}}

{{s-rail-national|previous=Leicester|next=East Midlands Parkway|toc=East Midlands Railway|route=Midland Main Line}}

{{s-rail-national|previous=Barrow-upon-Soar|next=East Midlands Parkway|toc=East Midlands Railway|route=Ivanhoe Line|}}

{{s-rail-national|previous=Melton Mowbray|next=East Midlands Parkway|toc=East Midlands Railway|route=Nottingham-Norwich|notemid=Limited service}}

{{Historical Rail Insert}}

{{Rail line |previous=Hathern
Line open, station closed |next=Barrow-upon-Soar
Line and station open |route=Midland Railway
Midland Main Line |col={{MR colour}} }}

{{end}}

= Connections =

Kinchbus's Sprint service to Loughborough University via the town centre terminates in the station forecourt. Nottingham City Transport's South Notts 1 service between Nottingham and Loughborough via Clifton and East Leake also stops in the forecourt on journeys inbound to Loughborough. Outbound journeys of the service 1 towards Nottingham stop on Station Boulevard, just south of the railway station, while Kinchbus's service 9 to Nottingham via the A60 and Centrebus's service 8 to Melton Mowbray and Grantham and service 27 to Sileby and Thurmaston stop on the A60 Nottingham Road, which runs over the railway on a bridge to the southeast.{{Cite web |date=March 2021 |title=Loughborough Bus map & guide |url=https://www.choosehowyoumove.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/Bus-Area-Guide-Loughborough-Mar-21.pdf |access-date=8 May 2024 |website=choosehowyoumove}}

References

{{Reflist}}

External links

{{Commons category}}

{{stn art lnk|LBO|LE111ET}}

  • [https://web.archive.org/web/20131020074336/http://www.kinchbus.co.uk/timetables/skylink.aspx Skylink bus timetable]

{{Coord|52|46|44.67|N|1|11|45.77|W|display=title|type:railwaystation_region:GB}}

{{Leicestershire and Rutland railway stations}}

{{Railway stations served by East Midlands Railway}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Loughborough Railway Station}}

Category:Grade II listed buildings in Leicestershire

Category:Grade II listed railway stations

Category:Railway stations in Leicestershire

Category:Former Midland Railway stations

Category:Railway stations in Great Britain opened in 1840

Category:Railway stations served by East Midlands Railway

Category:DfT Category C1 stations