The Battlefield Line Railway is a heritage railway in Leicestershire, England. It runs from Shackerstone to Shenton, via Market Bosworth, which is a total of . Shenton is near Bosworth Field; this is the location of the final battle of the Wars of the Roses, immortalised in Shakespeare's Richard III, giving the railway its name. Overview The railway runs steam and diesel-hauled trains every weekend and bank holiday from March to December. In addition, a summer mid-week service is operated by the heritage diesel railcar; these run on Wednesdays in July and September and Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays in August. Special events take place throughout the year, including the Christmas Santa Specials. History The railway used to be part of the London and North Western Railway and the Midland Railway, who operated the line jointly between Moira West Junction and Nuneaton. The first trains ran along this section in 1873. At Shackerstone station, there was once a junction where one section branched off towards Moira and Ashby and the other went towards Coalville Junction. In 1883, the Charnwood Forest Railway was opened, which extended the branch from Coalville Junction to Loughborough's Derby Road station, passing through the village of Whitwick and town of Shepshed. In the 1923 Grouping, these lines were assigned to the London Midland and Scottish Railway. In 1931, the last scheduled passenger train went down the Charnwood Forest branch, with the line then only being open to freight and excursions until the 1960s. The Coalville JunctionShackerstone section was dismantled and closed completely in 1964. The AshbyNuneaton line had its last passenger service in 1965, which was an enthusiasts' special, before British Rail pulled the rails up in 1970. In its heyday, Shackerstone was a busy station, with steam trains doing the workings between Ashby and Nuneaton, whilst a railcar did the service between Shackerstone and Loughborough Derby Road. The line was originally double track but was later singled. Part of the line was called the Bluebell Line (the Charnwood Forest Line, Hugglescote to Loughborough Derby Road station; this line was only accessible via the ANJR). The royal train now in the National Railway Museum went to Shackerstone on its first outing in December 1902. It conveyed King Edward VII, Queen Alexandra and Princess Victoria on their way to Gopsall Hall, where Handel is reputed to have composed his oratorio Messiah. Renovation project The Shackerstone Railway Society was