EMR celebrates 175th anniversary of Castle Line

East Midlands Railway (EMR) has marked the 175th anniversary of the Castle Line by holding a series of events up and down the route. 

The line, which runs between Nottingham and Lincoln through towns and villages alongside the River Trent, opened on the 4th August 1846 as a 33 mile extension to the Derby to Nottingham route. George Stephenson surveyed the area and avoided engineering difficulties simply by following the route of the river. 

To mark the anniversary, EMR held a week of celebrations on the line, including entertainment on board trains, and at stations, with singer Jayne Darling, and a group of reenactors, dancing for passengers. 

The official reopening of Lowdham signal box, which has been lovingly restored by David Moore, was also held. The signal box is a fascinating piece of history and provides an educational hands-on trip down memory lane, with people able to try out the signal box for themselves.

Station adopters were also part of the fun, working hard to spruce up their stations so they were ready for the anniversary. This work included installing a brand new train planter at Burton Joyce, which was named by the local primary school children. 

Kaye Robinson, Community Rail Ambassador for East Midlands Railway, said: "We were delighted to mark this anniversary and highlight the history of the Castle Line, as well as promote all the hidden gems that the route connects. 

"I would like to thank everyone who helped us organise all the events, especially our station adopters who gave up many hours to make the week possible. I would also like to say a special thanks to Friends of Burton Joyce & Lowdham, as they were very much the catalyst for the celebrations and also thank you to David Moore who lovingly restored the signal box."