RAILTOUR TAKEOVER at Leicester! Class 37s, Freight & Passenger Action

A busy and varied morning at Leicester railway station saw everything from heavy freight to modern passenger units — but the standout moment was the Branch Line Society railtour takeover. Filmed between 08:30 and midday on 19th March 2026, the railtour arrived behind a Class 57 before a pair of Class 37s moved out of Leicester L.I.P to take over at the front, creating a fantastic sequence of movements rarely seen at this location.

Filmed at Leicester Station on 19th March 2026 between 08:30 and 12:00, this video captures a busy morning of rail activity on the Midland route.

The highlight of the session was the Branch Line Society railtour, which arrived from Peterborough behind Class 57 57306. Shortly after arrival, a positioning move saw Class 37 37611 & 37423 emerge from Leicester L.I.P to take over at the front in Platform 1, creating a fantastic and rarely seen sequence of movements.

The railtour later departed as 1Z23, providing a brilliant moment of classic diesel traction in action.

Other movements captured throughout the morning included:

Freight & Light Engine:

Class 66 66724 – 0Z66

66756 – 4M07

66752 – 0D77

66724 – 6K90 (running approx. 115 minutes late)

66128 – 4D34

66097 – 6V92

Passenger & Modern Traction:

Class 810 810014 – 1F15 / 1C38 (listen out for the comical toot)

810012 – 3A14

Class 158 158852 – 2P55

Special & Additional Movements:

Class 47 47810 – 5Z31

57306 – 0Z25 returning to Leicester L.I.P

Class 43 HST 43014 & 43357 on L.I.P yard movements

The mix of railtour operations, freight traffic and modern passenger services made this a particularly varied and rewarding morning at Leicester.

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If you enjoy realistic railway operations, check out my sister channel Charlemont Parkway, where I recreate real-world railway movements in 00 gauge model form, featuring detailed scenery, weathered rolling stock and realistic operations inspired by locations like Leicester.

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