Market Harborough Station Upgrade

[Flying Phil]

This project has been referred to in the MML Electrification thread, but, as that is now halted, this station project might have got lost also - so a new "stand alone" thread would seem sensible.
I live in Harborough so will update on a fairly regular basis if that is what is wanted?
Work has now started and there is a bit happening on the site North of the existing station car park. This is where the new railway line will be going to ease the reverse bend through the present station.

More clearance work is happening to the East of the station where the old goods shed will shortly be demolished and the new car park situated.

 

[Flying Phil]

Harborough station remodelling continues with the start of the demolition of the old MR(?) goods shed.

 

[GRALISTAIR]

Great idea for a thread especially if you update regularly with progress. If/when MML sparks eventually happens it will be one less thing to do on the civils

 

[HowardGWR]

Harborough station remodelling continues with the start of the demolition of the old MR(?) goods shed.

Hope they gave Butterley (and others) the chance to see if there were interesting materials to be salvaged.

Edit: Great idea for the thread, thanks.

 

[Flying Phil]

The old goods shed is now about half demolished and it is expected to be completely gone by tomorrow afternoon!

This is the view from the Great Bowden bridge (to the North of the Station, view looking South)

 

[Flying Phil]

Well the view from Harborough station has certainly changed as the Goods Shed is now removed down to ground level!

There is also more work going on on the rest of the site to prepare it as the new car park.

 

[eastwestdivide]

Thanks. Good to see progress reports from our roving reporter, especially if you don't have to rove very far.

 

[Flying Phil]

From the roving reporter! Well the base of the Goods Shed is now this big pile of rubble/hardcore.

To the North, work continues laying a base for the new car park

 

[Flying Phil]

The drainage pipes have been buried and the site is being levelled ready for the tarmac to be laid, so steady progress.

 

[Blindtraveler]

Will the remoddling include/require new or relocated wating or booking office facilities?

 

[Flying Phil]

Will the remoddling include/require new or relocated wating or booking office facilities?

The existing station building is "listed" I believe and will be retained as a booking office /waiting room.

 

[swt_passenger]

Will the remoddling include/require new or relocated wating or booking office facilities?

The building will still be near enough to one of the platforms to remain in use, in fact the straightening is basically all north of the existing building and effectively means the track is slightly nearer the back of the building, rather than curving away from it (if that makes sense).

There were drawings etc linked in the earlier MML electrification thread, the relevant posts and discussion starts here: http://www.railforums.co.uk/showpost.php?p=3031952&postcount=843

 

[Blindtraveler]

Good, no Network Rail poverty spec newbuilds then!

 

[High Dyke]

Good, no Network Rail poverty spec newbuilds then!

Hah...they can't even afford them.

 

[InTheEastMids]

Good, no Network Rail poverty spec newbuilds then!

The new alignment meets the current one at the South of the station, so everything further up gets knocked down and moved, so don't worry, your beloved Poverty Spec shelters may find a home up by the footbridge.

The existing station is characterised by lack of shelter, outdoor benches and tiny waiting rooms. I expect NR to make little or no improvement on any of these areas - customer experience just isn't proper engineering is it?

 

[XDM]

The new alignment meets the current one at the South of the station, so everything further up gets knocked down and moved, so don't worry, your beloved Poverty Spec shelters may find a home up by the footbridge.

The existing station is characterised by lack of shelter, outdoor benches and tiny waiting rooms. I expect NR to make little or no improvement on any of these areas - customer experience just isn't proper engineering is it?

I remember the southbound waiting room being rather comfortable; warm, leather armchairs(am I imagining them!) & good view of the tracks.

 

[Flying Phil]

Well it seems that the new website didn't like my previous photographs as they were hosted on another website (- but perhaps that is only a temp situation?). Still, this is the current view of the new Harborough station future car park. No workers were to be seen but it looks nearly ready for a proper surface to be laid.

 

[Flying Phil]

Preparation work continues, with the focus moving to the North end of the new car park. They are also removing and excavating the old track bed from the siding that used to run between the shed and main line.

 

[Flying Phil]

A quantity of sand has been delivered on site and is being spread as a base for the new car park. The edging blocks are being laid adjacent to the running line.

 

[Flying Phil]

Much more prep work has been done with 4 machines moving around.
and a van is on site on the west side of the track (North of platform 1)

 

[Mugby]

So is the new car park to be on the east side of the line (or Up side?)

 

[edwin_m]

Yes, the first 4 photos in #20 are the new car park site while the fifth one is the existing car park approximately where the re-aligned tracks will be.

 

[Mugby]

Won't that present inconvenience for London bound passengers, having parked their cars, they then need to get across to the ticket office on the Down side, the back again to the Up side?

 

[fowler9]

Back when I was a child I have many happy memories of staying with family friends in Rupert Road in Market Harborough. We spent hours there watching flying bananas and 45's passing on passenger services.

 

[Flying Phil]

Won't that present inconvenience for London bound passengers, having parked their cars, they then need to get across to the ticket office on the Down side, the back again to the Up side?

I too wondered about that, but I suspect, the majority of car park users will already have pre-paid or season tickets and so will be able to go straight onto the adjacent London bound platform - the new layout will be much better for them. The new car park will be larger as well - the present one is often "Full".

 

[edwin_m]

They'll probably put ticket machines at the access from the car park to the platform as well, so those without tickets can buy/collect them. They do this at Nottingham for example.

 

[Flying Phil]

The tarmac is now being laid at the North end of the new car park and at the South end they continue to excavate to create the new level.

 

[Flying Phil]

Just about the whole of the North end of the car park has been tarmaced and the South end largely leveled.

 

[snowball]

Press release about the bridge south of the station:

https://www.networkrail.co.uk/feeds/road-closure-as-network-rail-upgrades-railway-in-leicestershire/

Network Rail will install new drainage to Rockingham Road bridge in Market Harborough as part of the Midland Main Line improvement programme.

The work will see new drainage installed. During this time, Rockingham Road will be closed to all vehicles between 21:00 and 06:00 between Friday, 1 and Monday, 4 December and a clearly signposted diversion route will be in place. Pedestrian access across the bridge will be maintained throughout the work.

 

[Kettledrum]

Yes, the first 4 photos in #20 are the new car park site while the fifth one is the existing car park approximately where the re-aligned tracks will be.

Whilst a few hundred yards of re-aligned track are being laid, wouldn't it make sense to install electrification bases at the same time on this new stretch. It would certainly make it much easier to extend the wires in the future.