Next priority project: Requadrupling the MML- Wigston to Syston.

And electrification through to Elmsall junction. The three East Midlands cities on the Midland, along with Sheffield should be electrified as a matter of urgency for the survival of the line. The layout at Leicester needs the Derby treatment to allow higher speeds and greater freight capacity. Trent junction needs remodelling to allow greater speeds if possible.

I don't see why the extension of electrification all the way to beyond Sheffield would alter the chances of "survival" of the line?

The line is extremely unlikely to close barring some catastrophic natural disaster or similar event.

At this time, electrification through to the Leeds-Doncaster line (but not to Doncaster itself?) doesn't seem to gain the railway very much for the enormous expense.
EMR has its fleet of new electrodiesels either way.

Johnnie2Sheds said:

Trent junction needs remodelling to allow greater speeds if possible.

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It’s been remodelled, and is at maximum speed given the laws of physics

HSTEd said:

I don't see why the extension of electrification all the way to beyond Sheffield would alter the chances of "survival" of the line?

The line is extremely unlikely to close barring some catastrophic natural disaster or similar event.

At this time, electrification through to the Leeds-Doncaster line (but not to Doncaster itself?) doesn't seem to gain the railway very much for the enormous expense.
EMR has its fleet of new electrodiesels either way.

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Finishing the electrification between Leicester and Nottingham/ Leeds/ Doncaster, along with Birmingham to Derby are the kind of thing which should be tackled in the medium term.

Then a new batch of straight electric trains could allow the 810s to be cascaded to somewhere the bimode design could offer benefits, and we'd have no more requirement for 125 operation away from the wires.

As for 4 tracking through Leicester, if that solves an actual problem then that should be somewhere on the wishlist.

MML priority 1 - Timetable*
Priority 2 - Wires
Priority 3 - London terminal capacity


* Flitwick (for example) to Derby - Four trains!

Harpo said:

MML priority 1 - Timetable*
Priority 2 - Wires
Priority 3 - London terminal capacity


* Flitwick (for example) to Derby - Four trains!

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I’m not sure what you mean by four trains between Bedford and Derby. Please elaborate why this is a higher priority than electrification.

Harpo said:

Flitwick (for example) to Derby - Four trains!

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Two at some times of day !

Bald Rick said:

Two at some times of day !

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There's the 16.10, change at Bedford - which doesn't appear on NRES as far as I can see.

What's the other one?

Merle Haggard said:

There's the 16.10, change at Bedford - which doesn't appear on NRES as far as I can see.

What's the other one?

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Derby / Sheffield trains call at Bedford on Sunday mornings during the two-track railway period.

However, I am not sure that four tracks through south Leicester is the thing that unlocks easier journeys from Flitwick to Derby.

D365 said:

I’m not sure what you mean by four trains between Bedford and Derby. Please elaborate why this is a higher priority than electrification.

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The timetable is a higher priority than electrification because it doesn’t need the wires to make it happen.

Currently Bedford or Luton to Derby or Sheffield needs 3 trains changing at Kettering and Leicester at most times of the day. Start from (my example) Flitwick or another intermediate and you add a 3rd change/4th train.

Merle Haggard said:

There's the 16.10, change at Bedford - which doesn't appear on NRES as far as I can see.

What's the other one?

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0639, 0711, 0739 off Bedford to Nottingham each weekday (and similar times Saturday), connections from Flitwick and other stations further south.

JonathanH said:

However, I am not sure that four tracks through south Leicester is the thing that unlocks easier journeys from Flitwick to Derby.

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What unlocks this is a platform on the up fast line at Bedford.

Hopefully that will come as part of the Bedford rebuild for East West Rail.

The objective will be easier journeys from the north to Wixams/Stewartby for Universal, from which Flitwick will also benefit.

Bald Rick said:

0639, 0711, 0739 off Bedford to Nottingham each weekday (and similar times Saturday), connections from Flitwick and other stations further south.

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Sorry confused, thought 2 trains was intended, not 2 changes.

Leicester would benefit from 4-tracking, especially from Wigston to Leicester station.

The main beneficiaries of electrification need the Birmingham line to be wired. That seems further down the list. You could have EMUs on the Ivanhoe line, and maybe a local to Derby, but that does not really create the benefits now the 810s exist. This also needs there to be more capacity on Birmingham to Leicester and I am not sure that can be done. Perhaps a local service from Nuneaton to Leicester to give a second train per hour at the stops on that section and extend the current Birmingham to Leicester to Nottingham?

I would be inclined to run London to Sheffield like London to Norwich. That might not be "InterCity", but it would be suitable for the line length and offer the requisite shorter dwells and acceleration to allow more stops south of Leicester. That would need electrification.

So the priority to me would be getting the layout at Leicester sorted and laying tracks in a way that would accommodate electrification at a later stage.