Electrification work powers ahead on the Midland Main Line this July

Monday 3 Jul 2023

Electrification work powers ahead on the Midland Main Line this July

Region & Route:: Eastern; | Eastern: East Midlands

Work continues this month on the biggest programme of improvements to the Midland Main Line since its completion over 150 years ago.

On Sunday 9 and Sunday 16 July, engineers will continue work to prepare for an electrified railway on the Midland Main Line between Kettering and Wigston. This will help to create a cleaner, greener railway for passengers travelling along this section of the Midland Main Line in the future. These key upgrades include improvements to drainage systems as well as important work to bridges to provide clearance for new overhead line equipment.

These upgrades will mean a reduced East Midlands Railway (EMR) service between London and Sheffield/Nottingham, with diversions in place leading to extended journey times. These services will not be calling at Market Harborough, with buses replacing trains between Kettering and Market Harborough and Market Harborough and Leicester.

Passengers are urged to plan ahead, allow extra time and to check their journey via National Rail Enquiries or with their train operator.

Gary Walsh, Network Rail’s Route Director for the East Midlands, said: “These improvements are an important part of the Midland Main Line Upgrade. We’re preparing for a greener railway which is fit for the future, leading to smoother and more reliable journeys in the East Midlands.

“I’d like to thank passengers for their patience whilst we complete this essential engineering work and encourage anyone who is planning to travel to check National Rail Enquiries or their train operator’s website before setting off.”

Neil Grabham, Customer Services Director for EMR, said: “We are asking any customers planning to travel to or from London on Sunday 9 July or Sunday 16 July to plan ahead and allow plenty of time to complete their journey.

“Our trains will be unable to call at Market Harborough station and rail replacement buses will keep passengers moving between Kettering and Market Harborough and Market Harborough and Leicester.

“We would like to thank our customers for their patience whilst the engineering work along the Midland Main Line is taking place.”

ENDS

Notes to Editors

There will be some additional minor changes to early Sunday morning services throughout July due to essential engineering work, which are as follows:

Sunday 9 July – Buses replace Thameslink trains between London St. Pancras International and Mill Hill Broadway until 09:00am.
Sunday 16 July – Amended early morning service EMR service between Derby and Sheffield.
Sunday 23 July and Sunday 30 July – Journeys on EMR services between Bedford and Wellingborough will be extended by up to 30 minutes between 08:00am and 10:00am.
Sunday 30 July – Buses replace Thameslink trains between Luton and Bedford until 08:30am.

Check before you travel:

You can plan your journey using the National Rail Enquiries Journey Planner

Contact information

Passengers / community members
Network Rail national helpline
03457 11 41 41

Latest travel advice
Please visit National Rail Enquiries

Journalists
Jake Nabi
Media Relations Manager
Network Rail
07858375508
jake.nabi@networkrail.co.uk

About Network Rail

We own, operate and develop Britain's railway infrastructure; that's 20,000 miles of track, 30,000 bridges, tunnels and viaducts and the thousands of signals, level crossings and stations. We run 20 of the UK's largest stations while all the others, over 2,500, are run by the country's train operating companies.

Usually, there are almost five million journeys made in the UK and over 600 freight trains run on the network. People depend on Britain's railway for their daily commute, to visit friends and loved ones and to get them home safe every day. Our role is to deliver a safe and reliable railway, so we carefully manage and deliver thousands of projects every year that form part of the multi-billion pound Railway Upgrade Plan, to grow and expand the nation's railway network to respond to the tremendous growth and demand the railway has experienced - a doubling of passenger journeys over the past 20 years.

Media centre