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Thursday 7 Jul 2016

Next phase of work to upgrade Kettering-Corby rail route unveiled

Region & Route:

Network Rail and East Midlands Trains are inviting passengers and residents to find out more about the next phase of work to build a second track on the Kettering to Corby route.

Network Rail is investing over £100m installing additional track and signalling as part of its Railway Upgrade Plan for the Midland Main Line which will improve the reliability of existing services as well as allowing more trains to run in the future.

From 10 September to 24 October 2016 the line between Kettering and Corby will be closed to allow essential strengthening and upgrade work on key bridges and viaducts along the route. Replacement bus services will run instead of trains.

Rob McIntosh, route managing director for Network Rail, said: “The project is part of our exciting Midland Main Line Upgrade Programme that will allow more trains to run, more frequently as well as reducing journey times on the routes which serve the people of Sheffield, Nottingham, Derby, St Pancras and, of course, Kettering and Corby.

“We have been on site for a year installing a second track between Corby and Kettering and now need to carry out more complex works on the bridges and viaducts along the route. The safest and most efficient way to do this is while trains are not running. I want to thank passengers for their patience while we complete this phase of the work and assure them we will re-open the line as quickly as possible.”

Between Saturday 10 September and Monday 24 October, replacement bus services will run between Corby and Kettering in place of trains, connecting in with train services at Kettering. The journey time is expected to be around 20 minutes, and the coaches will depart slightly earlier than the normal train timetable. The replacement bus service will be published at eastmidlandstrains.co.uk during August.

Network Rail and East Midlands Trains will be holding a public information event at Corby station on Monday 15 August from 7am to 6pm to give more detail about the work, the replacement bus service and to allow people to ask questions.

As the station car parks at nearby Kettering and Market Harborough stations are already very busy, it is recommended that customers continue to use Corby station and the replacement bus service to guarantee car parking.

Jake Kelly, managing director for East Midlands Trains, said: “This is a key stage in the Midland Main Line improvement programme that will help unlock the potential for future journey time improvements and capacity enhancements.

“Our focus in the lead up to the start of the work will be to keep customers informed about their journey options and to make sure they can keep travelling with the minimum inconvenience. Along with Network Rail, we’ll also be speaking to local schools, residents and key businesses about the work taking place and the impact on our train service.”

More information about the scheme can be found at www.networkrail.co.uk/ketteringtocorby, @networkrail #K2C and from Network Rail’s 24 hour helpline on 03457 11 41 41. For customer information, visit eastmidlandstrains.co.uk

Notes

The Midland Main Line Upgrade Programme re-energises one of Britain’s oldest railways. By 2023 the Midland Main Line will be electrified, have track and signals modernised, station platforms lengthened and see new trains with more carriages introduced.

The work required to enable this transformation involves remodelling bridges, tunnels and stations as well as installing overhead electrical lines – in the biggest programme of improvements to the Midland Main Line since it was completed in 1870.

Passenger numbers on Britain’s railways have doubled since 1996 and demand is accelerating. Rail freight is also booming, showing a 70 per cent increase since the mid-1990s.

Building new rail links, increasing capacity as well as line speed and modernising our infrastructure is therefore essential to allowing trains to run faster, more frequently and more reliably on the rail network

The structures that will be worked on are Glendon Iron Coys Bridge, Glendon Viaduct, A6003 Southbound (Barford’s Bridge), Harpers Brook Viaduct, Sheffields Bridge.

Journalists who would like more detail on the work being done to each structure should contact the press office on 01904 383180.