Join us for a special weekend celebrating the Great Central Railway’s journey towards reunification. Explore both halves of the railway as we look ahead to reconnecting Loughborough and Nottingham, creating an incredible 18-mile heritage railway through the heart of the East Midlands.
With one inclusive ticket giving access to all sites, train travel, and our special Heritage Rail Replacement Bus Service, there’s plenty to discover across the railway. From behind-the-scenes and guided tours to heritage transport, exhibition and interactive experiences, there’s plenty to explore.
Whether you’re a long-time supporter, a family looking for a great day out, or someone visiting us for the very first time, the Mind the Gap Reunification Weekend promises something for everyone.
Share the Love
For every adult Runabout ticket purchased, you can add a free ticket for a guest to join you and discover the Railway together. We’ll also have Kids for a Quid tickets available, making it a great family day out.
Simply add your adult Runabout Ticket to your basket and then select either a free adult Runabout Ticket or our Kids for a Quid offer.
Exchange your ticket for a wristband at anyone of our booking offices
To gain full access to all stations and to use our heritage rail replacement bus service, please visit our booking offices to exchange your ticket for a wristband.
With every adult Runabout Ticket purchased, you can add a free ticket for someone to join you!
Your ticket includes unlimited travel across both Great Central Railway and Great Central Railway Nottingham, plus access to our special reunification bus service linking Quorn & Woodhouse and Ruddington. Trains will be running across all four stations of The Great Central Railway, along with trains running from Ruddington to Rushcliffe Halt.
Travel between the two halves from Quorn and Woodhouse Station and Ruddington Station and explore all attractions across the weekend with our special connecting bus service using classic London Routemaster buses. You will also be able to enjoy NABS bus trips to and from Ruddington to Rushcliffe Halt.
Accessible Service
The heritage Routemaster buses used during Mind the Gap Weekend are not wheelchair accessible. If you require an accessible vehicle between the two railways, please speak to a member of staff or contact us in advance. We will be pleased to make suitable arrangements.
Step into the driver’s seat and experience our HST simulator. Originally used to train drivers at GNER and East Midlands Trains, you can now take the controls yourself with a simulator session.
There will be a range of guided tours across the weekend, including our Trackbed Guided Tour, where you can join BBC’s Tom Ingall for exclusive guided tours of the reunification trackbed, each day from Loughborough Central Station. There will be one walk Saturday Mid Afternoon and two on Sunday – one Mid Morning and the other Mid Afternoon. You can book your spot from the Friends Stand. Talks will be held in the Visitor Centre by the Watkins Society celebrating the lives and achievements of Absalom and Sir Edward Watkin. Sir Edward is best known for his ambitious vision of a railway link between Britain and Europe, reflecting the bold engineering and industrial ambition of the Victorian era.
A variety of food and drink options will be available across the railway throughout the event. Enjoy refreshments at the NAAFI Tearoom, Butler Henderson Café, Tin Shed Bar, and Ruddington Café, all serving a selection of hot and cold drinks and tasty treats. The Rothley Station Tearoom will also be open, offering a delightful range of refreshments, while the Tail Lamp Tearoom at Leicester North will be serving light bites and drinks for visitors to enjoy during their day out.
Refreshments will also be available on board selected trains too, including our 1960s-style British Rail Car Griddle Car and beautifully restored Refreshment Car that offers hand pulled pints making it the best ever local on rails.
Little explorers can help track down Jumbles’ missing kittens across both GCR and GCRN.
Collect your free colouring activity sheets and crayons from any of our stations, both North and South, then set off on your adventure. Find all 15 kittens, colour them in and return your completed sheet to Leicester North Station or Ruddington Fields Station to claim your prize!
Are you up for the challenge?
