The Campaign to Re-Open The Ivanhoe Line

[davieG]

39 minutes ago, Stadt said:

Leicestershire must be about the worst funded place the country per head. The schools I think have the absolute lowest funding p/h, regionally the East Mids receives the least transport-wise. No devolved mayoralty (not that I want it) and the funding that brings.

 

The stoic, head down nature of the midlands doesn't help us out much in pork barrel land.

Leicestershire County Council has been the lowest funded county for years, the formula they use just fixes us there everytime.

[davieG]

The Issue

Petition putting forward the case for reinstating a passenger service between Burton & Leicester serving the towns/National Forest attractions inbetween.  This would be great for commuting and tourism with options for combined entry/travel tickets plus take traffic off the road for those who do general commuting during the week.

The route would open up the National Forest to those not able to travel by private transport, and boost tourism and leisure along the route bringing people to towns such as Ashby, Coalville and Burton who wouldn't normally travel outside of Leicester, and vice versa, carrying people to Leicester.

The line still exists and is used for freight purposes.  Investment in stations would be required, but in the modern world these would not be staffed - just platforms.

The following is lifted from ivanhoeline.org

The Vision
Our vision of the line is that it will be a busy commuter line in the week with a half-hourly service at peak periods.

During the weekend the line will be used for tourism and leisure particularly to the National Forest.

Proposed stations are Drakelow, Gresley, Moira, Ashby, Coalville, Bagworth & Ellistown, Meynell’s Gorse and Leicester South, a new station adjacent to the King Power Stadium and other sports stadia. We will also propose an integrated plan that interacts with bus services and makes use of park & ride facilities. Although we are primarily concerned with Burton to Leicester, once opened this line will have great potential which an ambitious operator could exploit.

 

SIGN AND SHARE THE PETITION!
https://c.org/WKq5dsCtKm
started by Andrew Bucknall

[Paninistickers]

Signed 

[Sly]

If King Power had anything about it, they would have jumped on partially funding this.

 

It would have allowed them an avenue into tourism in the UK, whilst also giving them an advantage of establishing better transport links to the stadium and upgraded area they were looking to enhance.

 

It only needed an additional stop adding somewhere with a park a ride, they’d have then had a car park established for the events centre they proposed at the stadium. 
 

I guess the major challenge is, return on investment.

 

The Burton to Coalville section is estimated at £100m.

 

Then then the Coalville to Leicester is an additional £270m. 
 

You’d likely be looking at a 30+ year return on investment, which will only grow as costs increase. This has and always will be the stumbling block on why this doesn’t get the green light for investment. 

[Officer Doofy]

3 hours ago, Sly said:

If King Power had anything about it, they would have jumped on partially funding this.

 

 

They can't afford it until they aren't partially funding 6 previous managers at the same time

[Paninistickers]

Saw a freight (aggregate) train on the line today. It's been ages since I've seen activity on the line.

 

Going over the bridge near fulhurst school. Clipping along at 30/40mph 

 

 

 

 

[Guest worth_the_wait]

49 minutes ago, Paninistickers said:

Saw a freight (aggregate) train on the line today. It's been ages since I've seen activity on the line.

Going over the bridge near fulhurst school. Clipping along at 30/40mph 

Plenty of freight trains (Aggregates) use that line every weekday - to Bardon Hill and Cliffe Hill Stud Farm quarries.      Mostly Mon-Fri; not much at weekends.

 

For example, in the URL below ... anything with "N/R" in the last column are actual freight train movements today.   This example is at Desford, but that will be true all the way to Knighton Junction.

 

https://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/search/detailed/gb-nr:BAGWDES/2026-03-31/0000-2359?stp=WVS&show=freight&order=actual

 

Edited 31 March by worth_the_wait

[Paninistickers]

8 minutes ago, worth_the_wait said:

Plenty of freight trains (Aggregates) use that line every weekday - to Bardon Hill and Cliffe Hill Stud Farm quarries.      Mostly Mon-Fri; not much at weekends.

 

For example, in the URL below ... anything with "N/R" in the last column are actual freight train movements today.   This example is at Desford, but that will be true all the way to Knighton Junction.

 

https://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/search/detailed/gb-nr:BAGWDES/2026-03-31/0000-2359?stp=WVS&show=freight&order=actual

 

Funny, I thought freight had all but stopped. I drive past that bridge almost every day at numerous times if day and used to see one, say, once a fortnight. Whereas today was the first time in a couple of years. 

 

Must just have been unlucky..

 

Can't for the life of me work out why a working track needs 350m on it tho, even allowing for the reinstalling of the north curve at saffron lane stadium 

[Guest worth_the_wait]

11 minutes ago, Paninistickers said:

Funny, I thought freight had all but stopped. I drive past that bridge almost every day at numerous times if day and used to see one, say, once a fortnight. Whereas today was the first time in a couple of years. 

Must just have been unlucky..

Can't for the life of me work out why a working track needs 350m on it tho, even allowing for the reinstalling of the north curve at saffron lane stadium 

Trouble is ... they've put a car park and big industrial unit, where the North curve used to be.

 

Short of buying up the land and flattening what's on it ... there's no cheap way of re-instating the Northbound link.

 

[davieG]

26 minutes ago, worth_the_wait said:

Trouble is ... they've put a car park and big industrial unit, where the North curve used to be.

 

Short of buying up the land and flattening what's on it ... there's no cheap way of re-instating the Northbound link.

 

Compulsory Purchase, they do it plenty for the High Speed Line to Brum.

 

The only thing stopping it is the will and that's probably because it's Leicester / East Midlands under funded by successive governments

[Paninistickers]

38 minutes ago, worth_the_wait said:

Trouble is ... they've put a car park and big industrial unit, where the North curve used to be.

 

Short of buying up the land and flattening what's on it ... there's no cheap way of re-instating the Northbound link.

 

Or it could pull into a siding on the south, driver walks to the other end and reverses the direction. Would take 5 mins max. Happens all over the world 

[Guest worth_the_wait]

1 hour ago, davieG said:

Compulsory Purchase, they do it plenty for the High Speed Line to Brum.

 

The only thing stopping it is the will and that's probably because it's Leicester / East Midlands under funded by successive governments

Yep, good point.

 

Compulsory purchase used all over the place, except where you want it to be used!

[Guest worth_the_wait]

57 minutes ago, Paninistickers said:

Or it could pull into a siding on the south, driver walks to the other end and reverses the direction. Would take 5 mins max. Happens all over the world 

Yep, that would work.  Although probably not "sexy enough" for a new line.

 

But as you say, there are plenty of branch lines in this country where they reverse.  Eg Liskeard to Looe, Plymouth to Gunnislake, Middlesbrough to Whitby.

[FoxesTez]

I was at an event with some senior folk at Leicester City Council recently - this is an absolute no go due to cost as others have alluded to. 

[davieG]

11 hours ago, FoxesTez said:

I was at an event with some senior folk at Leicester City Council recently - this is an absolute no go due to cost as others have alluded to. 

It's not the cost it's the lack of will there's been several lines reinstated  / extended around the country, one in Northumberland and Oxford to Cambridge spring to mind and needed a lot more to get them running than the Ivanhoe would cost and the money was found..

 

As I said above the East Midlands and Leicester in particular are invisible to successive governments. Leicestershire is the most poorly funded county with government funding in England.

[Officer Doofy]

10 hours ago, FoxesTez said:

I was at an event with some senior folk at Leicester City Council recently - this is an absolute no go due to cost as others have alluded to. 

Folk who don't have the fight to make it happen in the same way that other areas do? 

[Guest worth_the_wait]

21 hours ago, worth_the_wait said:

Yep, that would work.  Although probably not "sexy enough" for a new line.

But as you say, there are plenty of branch lines in this country where they reverse.  Eg Liskeard to Looe, Plymouth to Gunnislake, Middlesbrough to Whitby.

@Paninistickers

 

Nerdy fact of the day ... There's one regular major service that actually reverses twice.     The EMR Liverpool Lime Street to Norwich service reverses at Sheffield and Ely.

 

 

[Paninistickers]

4 minutes ago, worth_the_wait said:

@Paninistickers

 

Nerdy fact of the day ... There's one regular major service that actually reverses twice.     The EMR Liverpool Lime Street to Norwich service reverses at Sheffield and Ely.

 

 

Haha. Lovely! 

 

Which then begs the question why they service can't stop at Leicester?. I thought the basis was it'd have to reverse out to the Melton Peterborough line..

 

If the service came to Leicester instead of Grantham it'd connect us to Norwich, Manchester and Liverpool. Baffling. 

[Paninistickers]

....which then begs another question.

 

Leicester is officially the worst connected city in the UK. Why don't the council (maybe backed by the two unis) emulate Hull + lease some rolling stock and set up an open access operator connecting us to some big cities. 

[Grebfromgrebland]

4 minutes ago, Paninistickers said:

....which then begs another question.

 

Leicester is officially the worst connected city in the UK. Why don't the council (maybe backed by the two unis) emulate Hull + lease some rolling stock and set up an open access operator connecting us to some big cities. 

Sounds like a hassle 

[Guest worth_the_wait]

4 minutes ago, Paninistickers said:

Haha. Lovely! 

Which then begs the question why they service can't stop at Leicester?. I thought the basis was it'd have to reverse out to the Melton Peterborough line..

If the service came to Leicester instead of Grantham it'd connect us to Norwich, Manchester and Liverpool. Baffling. 

Some years ago, they did actually route the Liverpool to Norwich service via the Melton/Oakham/Stamford line, rather than via Grantham.    Although not via Leicester.    It went "direct" via the Syston North and East junctions.

 

Trouble is, it added too much extra time into the service.   And when they re-thought about it, I assume they decided there was no real reason to route it away from Grantham.

[Paninistickers]

Just now, Grebfromgrebland said:

Sounds like a hassle 

Indeed. But isn't that what councils are there for. 

 

I'm sure the Curve and De.Mont are hassle. New Walk Museum. Bin collections

[davieG]

5 minutes ago, Paninistickers said:

....which then begs another question.

 

Leicester is officially the worst connected city in the UK. Why don't the council (maybe backed by the two unis) emulate Hull + lease some rolling stock and set up an open access operator connecting us to some big cities. 

The3 City and County Councils don't exactly see eye to eye on many things and it''ll be worse once the government have restructured it all giving Soulsby even more power.

[Paninistickers]

1 minute ago, davieG said:

The3 City and County Councils don't exactly see eye to eye on many things and it''ll be worse once the government have restructured it all giving Soulsby even more power.

Tbh, id say at least Soulsby gets things done. Albeit micro, incremental improvements. He's not a grand projet man. 

 

The county and borough councils are the fcking pain as they can't see a healthy city leads to a healthy county. 

[davieG]

4 minutes ago, Paninistickers said:

Tbh, id say at least Soulsby gets things done. Albeit micro, incremental improvements. He's not a grand projet man. 

 

The county and borough councils are the fcking pain as they can't see a healthy city leads to a healthy county. 

We'd get a lot more done and more money if he wasn't so power hungry preventing a proper East Midlands set up. 

 

The bulk of government spending is now going to Nottingham/Derby - Aka East Midlands.