Welcome to my web site describing the history of the Old Dalby railway test track situated in the UK.

In the late 1960's BR Research Division acquired two stretches of redundant lines near their HQ in Derby and these were subsequently converted into test tracks and used for numerous tests and trials which could not be conducted on the main lines.

The high speed line was situated on the Nottingham/Leicester border and was known as 'Old Dalby' after name of the village next to the site of the control centre. The line was 13¾ miles (21 km) long and ran between Melton Mowbray in Leicestershire and Edwalton on the southern outskirts of Nottingham and originally formed part of the Midland Railway's route from Nottingham to Kettering.

The low speed line ran from Derby's former Great Northern station in Friargate to the junction with the line from Derby to Crewe at Egginton. The line was later truncated to run between Mickleover and Egginton but was closed in the 1990's when a new road was built over the formation and this coincided with the desire to reduce the Research Division's costs prior to privatisation. The site incorporates pages related to the Mickleover test track which I hope will be of interest.

After rationalisation of the Research Division in the late 1980's the Old Dalby line was taken over by the DM&EE and finally by Railtest but remained leased from the BR Property Board. In 1997 Serco Railtest came into being following purchase of part of the former DM&EE by Serco PLC.  The assets from the purchase included not only the operational responsibility for the Old Dalby test track but also the vehicle testing and infrastructure monitoring functions as well.

The Old Dalby test track is today owned by BRB (Residuary) Ltd. being part of the Department for Transport which, following privatisation of the railways around 1994, took over the remaining functions of the British Railways Board including the former BR Property Board.

In late 2000, after a few years with minimal use by DM&EE, the lease was re-negotiated and was transferred to Alstom Transport Limited who upgraded and electrified the line during 2001 specifically to test and commission the Virgin Pendolino trains. Although the line was formerly known as the Old Dalby Test Track, Alstom renamed it the Alstom Midlands Test Centre (AMTC), and under their ownership the HQ was moved from the original Old Dalby site to Asfordby, occupying various buildings at the former mine complex. 

However after completion of the Pendolino testing at the end of 2005, and the demise of Alstom as a train builder in the UK, the line remained little used for a couple of years and looked as if it might be closed altogether, but in early 2007 it was announced that Metronet had taken control of the line for its own future testing requirements with London Underground trains and Serco Assurance would operate it on their behalf.

The use of the line by conventional test trains on what remains the only test track in the UK is a distinct possibility.

It was reported in the Melton Times of 18th March 2008 that the plan for the new use of the line had been submitted to Melton Council for approval and this was to be reviewed on 1st April 2008 but was subsequently delayed and finally granted wiith conditions on 16th October 2008.

The bank slip between Old Dalby and Upper Broughton has now been repaired and the line is currently being fitted with the third and fourth conductor rails.

I intend to continue to expand the site and add new or different pictures as they become available. If you have any questions about either of the test tracks, past or present, or can offer any anecdotes or material which would enhance the site, please feel free to e-mail me - see Feedback page for details