With no fewer than four main lines running through the region, plus an array of secondary routes, branch lines, heritage railways and a couple of tramways, the East Midlands is a particularly interesting area for rail enthusiasts to explore.
The continued modernisation of Great Britain’s national railway network has resulted in some significant changes to the region’s railways since the turn of the 21st century; infrastructure has been upgraded, operating practices made more efficient, and rolling stock replaced. Even the rail map itself has changed in some cases!
In addition to all this, train operators (and, with them, their distinctive liveries) have come and gone as franchises have changed hands.
In the first of a new series of books, Ian Beardsley provides an illustrated guide to the railways of Derbyshire, Nottinghamshire and Leicestershire and recalls some of the many changes that have taken place upon them over the course of the last couple of decades. 96 pages.