Asfordby

infobox UK place
country = England
static_

static_image_caption=Asfordby parish church
latitude= 52.76
longitude=-00.96
official_name =Asfordby
population =
shire_district=
shire_county= Leicestershire
metropolitan_borough=
metropolitan_county =
region=East Midlands
constituency_westminster=
post_town=
postcode_district =
postcode_area=
dial_code=
os_grid_reference= SK7019

Asfordby is a village and civil parish in the Melton district of Leicestershire, to the west of Melton Mowbray on the A6006 road.

The parish consists of Asfordby proper, Asfordby Valley and Asfordby Hill, which together have a population of around 3,000 (1995 est). The villages are to the north of the River Wreake, with Asfordby Hill situated east of Asfordby proper, closer to Melton, and Asfordby Valley to the north.

Asfordby was the site of a modern deep coal pit in the 1980s but this closed due to numerous geological difficulties.

Railway Test Track

The original Old Dalby test track is owned by BRB (Residuary) Ltd. and runs from Melton Mowbray via Asfordby to Edwalton. In the early 2000s it was leased to Alstom Transport Limited who upgraded and electrified the line and used it for testing the UK version of Pendolino tilting trains. After completion of the Pendolino testing in early 2005 the line was mothballed.

On 12 February 2007, Metronet announced that they had leased the track and would be refitting part of it to test the next generation of air conditioned tube trains. [cite press release
title = Metronet saves Old Dalby test track
publisher = Metronet Rail
date = 2007-02-12
url = http://www.metronetrail.com/default.asp?sID=1170757840171
accessdate = 2007-03-20 ] [cite web
last = BBC
title = Tube firm to use rail test site
date = 2007-03-19
url = http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/leicestershire/6466501.stm
accessdate = 2007-03-20 ]

The Alstom Midlands Test Centre (AMTC) HQ now occupies various buildings at the former mine complex at Asfordby.

External links

* [http://www.asfordbypc.org.uk Asfordby Parish Council]
* [http://www.old-dalby.com/index.htm The Old Dalby Test Track]

References