GREAT CENTRAL RAILWAY PLC
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Next accounts due
2026-07-31 (in 2mo)
Last filed for 2025-01-31
Confirmation statement due
2026-10-21 (in 5mo)
Last made up 2025-10-07
Watchouts
Cash
£25K
-86.9% lowest in 3 filed years
Net assets
£1M
-47.8% lowest in 3 filed years
Employees
89
-16.8% lowest in 3 filed years
Profit before tax
-£228K
+67.6% highest in 3 filed years
Watchouts
Facts from the Companies House register and the latest accounts — not a rating
-
Material uncertainty over going concern
However, the Directors also recognise that following several years of poor trading performance, existing cash reserves have reduced significantly, and given the Company is not forecast to eliminate losses until 2028, there is a material uncertainty that if trading performance does not continue to improve then any remaining cash reserves could be exhausted. Please refer to the Strategic Report for further detail and context.
Name history
Renamed 1 time since incorporation
- GREAT CENTRAL RAILWAY PLC 1996-03-13 → present
- GREAT CENTRAL RAILWAY (1976) PUBLIC LIMITED COMPANY 1976-05-06 → 1996-03-13
Net assets
6-year trend · vs Industrials median
Accounts
6-year trend · latest reflected 2025-01-31
| Metric | Trend | 2020-01-31 | 2021-01-31 | 2022-01-31 | 2023-01-31 | 2024-01-31 | 2025-01-31 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Turnover | — | — | — | — | £3,203,508 | £3,508,270 | |
| Operating profit | — | — | — | — | -£670,897 | -£225,937 | |
| Profit before tax | — | — | — | -£685,721 | -£704,109 | -£228,434 | |
| Net profit | — | — | — | -£685,721 | -£704,109 | -£228,434 | |
| Cash | — | — | — | £211,844 | £191,937 | £25,097 | |
| Total assets less current liabilities | — | — | — | £10,479,787 | £9,743,169 | £8,780,919 | |
| Net assets | — | — | — | £2,712,350 | £2,060,288 | £1,074,805 | |
| Equity | £3,027,665 | — | — | £2,712,350 | £2,060,288 | £1,074,805 | |
| Average employees | — | — | — | 103 | 107 | 89 | |
| Wages | — | — | — | £1,507,095 | £1,571,399 | £1,515,747 |
Values shown as filed in the company's annual accounts. — indicates the figure wasn't present under that line item in that period. About these numbers
Ratios
Computed from the line items above — sparklines read oldest → newest
| Ratio | Trend | 2020-01-31 | 2021-01-31 | 2022-01-31 | 2023-01-31 | 2024-01-31 | 2025-01-31 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Operating margin | — | — | — | — | -20.9% | -6.4% | |
| Net margin | — | — | — | — | -22.0% | -6.5% | |
| Return on capital employed | — | — | — | — | -6.9% | -2.6% | |
| Gearing (liabilities / total assets) | — | — | — | — | 79.5% | 89.3% | |
| Current ratio | — | — | — | — | 0.47x | 0.43x | |
| Interest cover | — | — | — | — | -642.01x | -86.77x |
Margins divide P&L lines by turnover. Gearing is liabilities over total assets. Current ratio is current assets over creditors falling due within one year. Interest cover is operating profit over absolute finance costs. Sector-distribution context coming next.
Audit & accounting basis
- Accounting basis
- FRS 102
- Reporting scope
- Standalone (parent only)
- Auditor
- PKF Smith Cooper Audit Limited
- Audit opinion
- Unqualified (clean)
- Going concern
- Material uncertainty disclosed
“However, the Directors also recognise that following several years of poor trading performance, existing cash reserves have reduced significantly, and given the Company is not forecast to eliminate losses until 2028, there is a material uncertainty that if trading performance does not continue to improve then any remaining cash reserves could be exhausted. Please refer to the Strategic Report for further detail and context.”
Group structure
- GREAT CENTRAL RAILWAY PLC · parent
- Great Central Railway Development Ltd 49%
Auditor, going-concern and subsidiary information is drawn from the narrative of the latest annual accounts. About these numbers
People
10 active · 53 resigned
| Name | Role | Appointed | Born | Nationality |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| POLLARD, Caroline Elizabeth | Secretary | 2023-10-06 | — | — |
| BAINES, Clive Ian | Director | 2017-09-15 | Feb 1948 | British |
| BECKETT, Mark Andrew | Director | 2023-10-01 | Jan 1967 | British |
| BRUCE, Richard Hubert | Director | 2022-07-29 | Oct 1956 | British |
| MANLEY, Scott Jonathon | Director | 2022-12-01 | Apr 1996 | British |
| PATCHING, Richard John | Director | 2008-11-15 | Feb 1952 | British |
| REZA, Mahmood | Director | 2016-07-27 | Jun 1962 | British |
| SMITH, Eric Harold, Dr | Director | 2010-04-17 | Oct 1941 | British |
| WALTERS, Ian George | Director | 2024-12-18 | Nov 1969 | British |
| WILSON, Ian Lloyd | Director | 2019-02-27 | Aug 1953 | British |
Show 53 resigned officers
| Name | Role | Appointed | Resigned |
|---|---|---|---|
| GOODWIN, Mark Edward | Secretary | 2021-10-19 | 2023-10-06 |
| LOVATT, Richard James Bruce | Secretary | — | 2007-07-14 |
| MORLEY, Peter Thomas | Secretary | 2007-08-11 | 2013-08-07 |
| POLLARD, Caroline Elizabeth | Secretary | 2013-08-07 | 2021-08-31 |
| BAKER, Penelope Margaret | Director | 1993-10-30 | 1996-01-26 |
| BISHOP, Brian | Director | 1996-11-29 | 1998-02-26 |
| BODELL-STAGG, Margaret Julie | Director | 1999-09-24 | 2001-04-02 |
| BYASS, Kenneth Peter | Director | 2008-11-15 | 2016-01-22 |
| CHRISTIAN, Graham David | Director | — | 1999-08-21 |
| COBLEY, David Haydn | Director | — | 1993-04-02 |
| CROSSLAND, Philip Colin | Director | 2016-07-27 | 2019-09-23 |
| DUNPHY, Henry | Director | — | 1996-08-02 |
| EAST, John Antony | Director | — | 2005-08-20 |
| FLINT, Raymond Arthur | Director | 1998-09-25 | 1999-05-06 |
| FORD, William John Charles | Director | 2011-08-20 | 2016-11-18 |
| GORDON, Iain Robert | Director | 2016-07-27 | 2017-07-20 |
| GOUGH, Michael Neil | Director | 2017-08-23 | 2023-03-13 |
| GREEN, George Andrew | Director | 2005-03-04 | 2008-09-11 |
| GREGORY, Michael | Director | 2011-08-20 | 2016-09-09 |
| GREGORY, Michael | Director | 2009-01-17 | 2010-09-30 |
| HALLAM, Stephen William | Director | 2005-06-11 | 2008-04-12 |
| HANSON, Garcia Julian | Director | 2008-11-15 | 2010-09-30 |
| HARRIS, Nigel | Director | 2005-03-04 | 2010-09-30 |
| HOLLEY, Melville Llewelyn Thomas | Director | 2002-09-06 | 2005-04-09 |
| HOLLEY, Melville Llewelyn Thomas | Director | — | 1994-01-28 |
| HOULSTON, John Ravenscroft | Director | 2019-10-08 | 2022-10-27 |
| INGALL, Thomas Anthony | Director | 2005-10-15 | 2010-12-15 |
| KERSHAW, Anthony Michael | Director | 1995-03-24 | 2007-04-14 |
| LEE, Michael James Richnor | Director | 1995-11-24 | 2005-04-09 |
| LOVATT, Richard James Bruce | Director | — | 2007-07-14 |
| MARSH, Rosalyn Heather | Director | 1996-07-26 | 2010-09-30 |
| MCGAIG, Peter Archibald | Director | — | 2001-03-08 |
| MORGAN, David Treharne | Director | 1993-10-30 | 2024-07-13 |
| MORGAN, Nicola Ann, Baroness | Director | 2020-06-01 | 2023-07-29 |
| MORLEY, Peter Thomas | Director | 2005-03-04 | 2008-09-21 |
| MUNRO, Andrew Ian | Director | 2016-07-27 | 2017-05-16 |
| OLIVER, Graham John | Director | — | 2005-04-09 |
| PATEL, Veejay | Director | 1996-11-29 | 1997-08-16 |
| PENNEY, David James | Director | 2023-02-08 | 2025-01-21 |
| PLADGEMAN, David Anthony | Director | — | 2005-04-09 |
| PORTER, Benjamin Harold | Director | — | 1997-03-17 |
| SHEPPARD, Michael John | Director | — | 2016-05-18 |
| SLACK, David Geoffrey Reginald | Director | 2005-03-04 | 2006-09-09 |
| SLACK, David Geoffrey Reginald | Director | 2000-08-19 | 2002-03-01 |
| SPARKS, Anthony Christopher | Director | 2005-03-04 | 2013-09-23 |
| TILDEN SMITH, Richard | Director | 2005-03-05 | 2010-09-30 |
| WARD, Peter John | Director | 1994-11-12 | 1996-02-24 |
| WESTON, Robert Frederick | Director | — | 1994-10-02 |
| WHITEHOUSE, Christopher Michael | Director | 1993-10-30 | 1995-11-24 |
| WHITEHOUSE, Patrick Bruce | Director | — | 1993-06-17 |
| WILCOCK, Dennis | Director | 2013-09-23 | 2015-04-24 |
| WORTLEY, Zoe | Director | 2016-07-27 | 2017-11-15 |
| THE RT HON THE EARL OF LANESBOROUGH | Corporate Director | — | 1993-10-30 |
Ownership
Persons with significant control
| Name | Kind | Nature of control | Notified | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| The David Clarke Railway Trust | Corporate entity | Shares 25–50%, Voting 25–50% | 2016-04-06 | Active |
Filing timeline
Last 20 of 229 total filings
| Date | Type | Category | Description | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-10-29 | CS01 | confirmation-statement | Confirmation statement with updates | |
| 2025-08-21 | MR01 | mortgage | Mortgage create with deed with charge number charge creation date | |
| 2025-07-24 | AA | accounts | Accounts with accounts type full | |
| 2025-01-27 | TM01 | officers | Termination director company with name termination date | |
| 2024-12-23 | AP01 | officers | Appoint person director company with name date | |
| 2024-11-18 | CS01 | confirmation-statement | Confirmation statement with updates | |
| 2024-07-25 | AA | accounts | Accounts with accounts type full | |
| 2024-07-23 | TM01 | officers | Termination director company with name termination date | |
| 2023-12-20 | CS01 | confirmation-statement | Confirmation statement with updates | |
| 2023-10-06 | AP03 | officers | Appoint person secretary company with name date | |
| 2023-10-06 | TM02 | officers | Termination secretary company with name termination date | |
| 2023-10-04 | AP01 | officers | Appoint person director company with name date | |
| 2023-07-31 | AA | accounts | Accounts with accounts type full | |
| 2023-07-29 | TM01 | officers | Termination director company with name termination date | |
| 2023-03-13 | TM01 | officers | Termination director company with name termination date | |
| 2023-02-23 | CH01 | officers | Change person director company with change date | |
| 2023-02-15 | AP01 | officers | Appoint person director company with name date | |
| 2022-12-09 | AP01 | officers | Appoint person director company with name date | |
| 2022-11-04 | TM01 | officers | Termination director company with name termination date | |
| 2022-10-14 | CS01 | confirmation-statement | Confirmation statement with updates |
Public-record activity
Raw counts from Companies House — last 12–24 months
- Filings
- 3
- Capital events
- 0
- Officers appointed
- 0
- Officers resigned
- 0
last 12 months
last 24 months
last 12 months
last 12 months
Direct counts from the register. No score, no rating — see the Filing timeline for the underlying events.
Year-on-year
FY2024 → FY2025 · period ending 2025-01-31 vs 2024-01-31
-
Turnover
+9.5%
£3,203,508 £3,508,270
-
Cash
-86.9%
£191,937 £25,097
lowest in 3 filed years
-
Net assets
-47.8%
£2,060,288 £1,074,805
lowest in 3 filed years
-
Employees
-16.8%
107 89
lowest in 3 filed years
-
Operating profit
+66.3%
-£670,897 -£225,937
-
Profit before tax
+67.6%
-£704,109 -£228,434
highest in 3 filed years
-
Wages
-3.5%
£1,571,399 £1,515,747
Each % is (latest − prior) ÷ |prior| for the line item as filed. Periods don't have to be exactly 12 months apart — a long or short period (typical around incorporation or year-end changes) will distort the comparison. Lines a company doesn't report are omitted. About these numbers