Trains at: Leicester, MML, 14/12/19

A very enjoyable but also quite cold morning spent at Leicester Railway station on the Midland Mainline where we see plenty of services from East Midlands Railway, Cross Country and a light engine movement by Rail Operations Group.
Leicester was one of the first towns to receive a railway and railway station. The reason why I say town is because back then it was a town. The station was opened in 1832 by the Leicester and Swannington Railway which would eventually become part of the Midland Railway.
At the time there were roughly seven railway stations located throughout the town, the original station was built on the outskirts of the town at West Bridge and was eventually closed in 1928, Leicester Belgrave Road which was located on the Great Northern Railway closed in 1962 and Leicester Central which was located on the Great Central Railway was closed to passenger traffic in 1969. These three were the main railway stations in the town before they were subsequently shut down. The current station was formally known as Leicester London Road.
The station was first opened in 1840 by the Midland Railway and for a while just had the one platform serving it, as at the time the amount of traffic passing through along with the passenger numbers didn't require a second platform to be built, it wasn't until around 1858 when the first of the expansions took place and this was because there were more routes being opened up for trains to get to and from Leicester which meant that a second platform had to be built. Additionally for a long while this was the home to the headquarters of the Midland Railway company. Because they had now built two platform it also meant that they could have them dedicated to serving trains in a certain direction. So P1 was used for handling trains going North and P2 was used for southbound traffic.
Between 1892 and 1894 the Midland Railway completely rebuilt the station after many years of contemplation and some flaws in the planning. There was a new booking office opened by the then mayor of the town in 1892 when the station was renamed from Campbell Street station to Leicester London Road, the front entrance to the station consisted of four archways with two of the having the word 'Departure' inscribed into them and the other two have the word 'Arrival' These weren't done for the overall aesthetic appearance, this was done to help the local can drivers at the time.
Fundamentally the frontage of the station remains the same now as it did almost 120 years ago, the interior of the booking hall and the platforms however were redesigned in 1978 by Sir Robert McAlpine.
Once privatisation came into effect under British Rail the station fell into the care of Railtrack and eventually Network Rail, whilst these stations were under their control they actually contracted the work out to update the stations to the local railway operating company which at the time would have been Midland Mainline, when BR took over there wasn't any work done to the station. They obviously kept it tidy but in terms of modernising it they never looked into it. Once Midland Mainline were given the go ahead they began to introduce new things to the station such as large departure boards in the station and smaller ones dotted around the station. Along with smaller refurbishment work taking place.
In 2006 the station had automatic ticket barriers installed to crack down on fare evasion which still sadly takes place today.
Last year the station took 5.3 million passengers.
Joining me today was Flying Scotsman so please do check out his channel and give him some support. Here is a link to his video from the very same day
• Trains at Leicester Mm...
My next station is Sheffield.
You can now find me on Facebook through the group Tornado922, there you will find regular updates, videos and photos from all of my goings on throughout 2019.
You can also find me on Instagram through the name tornado922

[@blkpig6664]

Still love the 222's, oh man. Great sounds today and cameo's by the 43's. Clean and simple, thanks again!

[@Tornado922]

thanks ever so much!

[@bobbrooks266]

Don't you just fall in love with those two Tone horns makes the hair on the back of your neck stand up. Another fantastic video. Thanks for putting up with the cold. Wishing you a very merry Christmas. Regards

[@Tornado922]

There is no greater sound really! You would have thought that by now I would have gotten used to the cold conditions! Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to you and your family

[@evanswoodcentral315]

Great video from a top East Midlands station. Nice to see the two HSTs and you had a relatively rare capture of a 57, not bad at all. Keep safe and take care, regards Gary.

[@Tornado922]

Thanks very much, this was much better than my last time I was here it must be said. Plenty of good traffic to be seen

[@RAILTravelers]

Wow mind blowing my friend big like

[@Tornado922]

Thanks very much

[@thomasnorton2679]

Another great film mate, thumbs up as always Jarred :)

[@Tornado922]

Thank you kindly!

[@breeze1472]

Nice bright livery from EMR

[@Tornado922]

Their new colour scheme isn't so bright. Although 99% of their fleet still retains the former EMT livery

[@TaylorsTrainsMore]

Yay I live here! Great video keep it up!

[@Tornado922]

Thank you kindly

[@trainspotter930]

I have never been there but watching your video makes me want to

[@ew0lf472]

It's great it's my home town

[@alisonrawlings6679]

You have a nice looking home town then.

[@ew0lf472]

@@alisonrawlings6679 to me its a bit of dump you have to really know leicester to see what it is

[@wirral_transport]

Same

[@ClaretBlueTrainspotter]

Great video.

[@Tornado922]

Thanks very much

[@Owenjedi5000]

That class 156 In Blue And Yellow livery is a debranded East Midlands trains livery for an East Midlands railway

[@Tornado922]

I know

[@paulhill8224]

Very enjoyable video Tornado922

[@Tornado922]

Thanks very much

[@Trainspotter11_]

Another Fantastic video here Tornado922! I really enjoyed this :)

[@Tornado922]

Thanks very much

[@leccystar]

Awesome video! Congrats on 7 THOUSAND SUBS!

[@VisionForDynamics]

Yep

[@Tornado922]

Thank you ever so much!

[@VisionForDynamics]

@@Tornado922 both of us say: you are welcome and we hope you get even more subscribers 😁

[@levichalcraft8702]

Brilliant I love the class 91 in the new livery

[@1BarnetTE.]

What time is it in in the video?

[@levichalcraft8702]

Luka Mitrovic it’s not but I have seen it

[@1BarnetTE.]

@@levichalcraft8702 What livery?

[@levichalcraft8702]

Luka Mitrovic Euro Phoenix

[@1BarnetTE.]

Ok thx for info.

[@ghighlandchieftain4462]

Brilliant video tornado 922

[@Tornado922]

Thanks very much

[@alisonrawlings6679]

God did those HSTs sounded good. Let's make the most of them while they last

[@Tornado922]

They sounded amazing

[@srgntsylveon2919]

I am in this. Yay

[@Tornado922]

We'll get something sorted out for next year

[@LucyMichela]

God I need to go back to this station now things are changing there company wise

[@Tornado922]

I highly recommend it

[@JimbobsTransportVideos]

Nice to see the HSTs the rest are gone

[@Tornado922]

They still have some years left to give

[@xxiiilllxllliiixx4995]

Unfortunately, I think EMR will replace the 43s soon. 😭

[@Jeagles]

The VP185 sets will be scrapped at the end of the year

[@1BarnetTE.]

2024 when the IETs come in.

[@EastMidlandsRailwayFan]

@@1BarnetTE. no 2022

[@1BarnetTE.]

@@EastMidlandsRailwayFan Oh I think I messed up me info and mixed it up.

[@ukrailspotter21]

@@EastMidlandsRailwayFan is 2023

[@Jeagles]

Were you at Kings Cross today?

[@Tornado922]

I was indeed

[@Jeagles]

Tornado922 oh, I saw you, I knew I recognised your face and voice from somewhere

[@Tornado922]

@@Jeagles where abouts were you?

[@Jeagles]

Tornado922 Hanging about near the end of platforms 8/9 (when the double header 91s were there)

[@Tornado922]

@@Jeagles ah right ok. Was I standing near you?

[@chrisatrailway7573]

Nice video and what is happening to the 91s?

[@chrisatrailway7573]

@Sicilian Gecko I know that, but what is happening to the 91s at Leicester?

[@Tornado922]

They are going to be exported to Eastern Europe

[@VisionForDynamics]

When are the HST trains going?

[@leccystar]

They will be finished when XC decides.

[@VisionForDynamics]

Oh. Hello Cobra What will your next video be about?

[@leccystar]

I uploaded my new video last night, my next might be Coxly.

[@VisionForDynamics]

@@leccystar can't wait to see it 😃. If I see an Electrostar, I will Hype like you! 😁

[@leccystar]

I will tell you if one comes.

[@davidk4926]

I haven’t seen 222104 yet, have you?

[@1BarnetTE.]

I wish I have but I have been at King Cross 5 times this month and still haven't found it. I wish there was a train vehicle finder like there is for buses.

[@davidk4926]

Luka Mitrovic you mean st Pancras right lol, you won’t see it at KX

[@danielkelly8378]

at 00:00 I hear someone say 097

[@srgntsylveon2919]

Not quite, he said 156497

[@danielkelly8378]

@@srgntsylveon2919 no i heard a women say that

[@srgntsylveon2919]

@@danielkelly8378 to be exact he's my mate

[@danielkelly8378]

@@srgntsylveon2919 Oh ok thx

[@timdaugherty5921]

Is that your son next to you?

[@1BarnetTE.]

It is Flying Scotsman.

[@Tornado922]

He isn't my son. Just another KZbinr

[@FJx36]

I BEG MIDLANDS MAINLINE KEEP THOSE BLOODY HST's i beg

[@FJx36]

@Sicilian Gecko thanks for the info. I heard a rumour that hsts would be back or am i wrong

[@trainspottersouth]

LunaticFJ hsts aren’t coming back with EMR or LNER. Gwr have short sets. Scotrail have their short sets. Cross country haven’t mentioned anything about replacing their hsts so they’ll have a few more years at least.

[@1BarnetTE.]

2024 there getting replaced.

[@trainspottersouth]

Luka Mitrovic from what company?

[@1BarnetTE.]

@@trainspottersouth EMR

[@dianecooper9932]

00:00

[@timdaugherty5921]

Pronounced "Lester?"

[@1BarnetTE.]

I think???

[@trainscotland8171]

Yes

[@Tornado922]

indeed it is sir

[@russouk]

Trainspotters get the name "Geeks"...sorry but those two fit the bill...they would have annoyed me...they spoiled it a bit imo.....sounded like mr bean....sorry but it was somewhat offputting.....thought you were going to say they related til heard they were other YT channel posters. apart from that good caps.

[@Tornado922]

Thank you kindly for your honesty