Back in time: Enigma which is set during the Second World War, being filmed at Great Central Railway's Quorn Station

Weekend breaks for film buffs are on the cards for a Leicestershire tourist attraction featured in Hollywood blockbusters.

Loughborough's Great Central Railway is planning to capitalise on its silver screen success after being used as the location for blockbusting code-cracking drama Enigma, which opens next week.

The film, starring Kate Winslet and financed by Rolling Stone Mick Jagger, tells the story of Second World War code-breakers.

The Loughborough railway was also used earlier this year as a backdrop to Nicole Kidman's latest period drama, The Hours.

And on the small screen, the GCR was used for Saturday night's Casualty episode.

Now bosses hope to use the railway's success to attract more visitors. The ideas, which are still in the early stages, would involve tours of the station so visitors could see where Kate Winslet or Nicole Kidman were filmed.

Charnwood Borough Council is in talks with the GCR about how to run the tourist packages and include them in its national advertising.

A GCR spokesman said: "We are bringing in a five-figure sum to the local economy every time a film crew comes there.

"I think there is a great potential to start looking at packages for film tourism.

"We are starting to see an increase in film tourists people who are interested in visiting the locations where the films and dramas are made.

We already offer a number of theme events and a film theme would be a natural progression for us.

Loughborough Chamber of Trade spokesman David Wright welcomed the idea. He said: "The film industry has a national, if not international, profile and it is quite exciting that they want to use the facilities we have.

The idea of film tourism would be something we would be in favour of and obviously there would be benefits to the business community. By getting the film crews in, other businesses in the community are benefiting because they need places to stay they are buying services.

Screen commissioner Phil Nodding, of the East Midlands Screen Commission, said Leicestershire locations were increasingly on the shopping list for TV and film companies.

He said: Often people want a variety of locations and Leicester has the lots in terms of urban, stately homes, the countryside and period industrial. The East Midlands is on a roll right now and Leicestershire has definitely played its part in the region's success.

Today, Great Central Railway announced it has clocked up record business this year, despite the foot-and-mouth crisis.

Up to 400 guests a week booked its evening meals while Thomas the Tank Engine pulled in record business over its 10-day event.

© Leicester Mercury Group Ltd.