Market Harborough Station Upgrade

[Corncob]

Whilst this is all well and good and will shave a few minutes off the journey, surely the big issue is you get between Bedford and Luton and then it’s 60 mph all the way into London. If your lucky.

 

[John Webb]

Whilst this is all well and good and will shave a few minutes off the journey, surely the big issue is you get between Bedford and Luton and then it’s 60 mph all the way into London. If your lucky.

Not quite certain which trains you are referring to - but there are various stretches south of Luton where the EM trains can achieve 125mph. (I would accept there are currently some problems due to the timetable foul-up, but they should be sorted out eventually.)

 

[Senex]

Not quite certain which trains you are referring to - but there are various stretches south of Luton where the EM trains can achieve 125mph. (I would accept there are currently some problems due to the timetable foul-up, but they should be sorted out eventually.)

Why would you expect the problems to be sorted out? As long as the London commuters on Thameslink are kept happy the DfT won't shew any interest in MML inter-city passengers and their services.

 

[InTheEastMids]

Why would you expect the problems to be sorted out? As long as the London commuters on Thameslink are kept happy the DfT won't shew any interest in MML inter-city passengers and their services.

Exactly. Whilst the Harborough project addresses other issues such as platform length, accessibility and adequacy of car parking, to spend any money to save a minute at Harborough, when a lot of EMT trains are 5-10 minutes slower because of what's going on further South is a tough sell.

Whilst this is all well and good and will shave a few minutes off the journey, surely the big issue is you get between Bedford and Luton and then it’s 60 mph all the way into London. If your lucky.

I wouldn't go quite this far, but in the last 10 days I've done 3 return trips to St Pancras, and have experiences
- train being 6 minutes early through Bedford, and then losing this time travelling slowly around Luton and Cricklewood-West Hampstead
- Extended periods of a 125 mph train loping along at 75-100 mph because it's following a GTR service
- coming to a crawl near St Albans, Harpenden and Bedford because the timetable plans for an EMT service to be running up the back of 2 different GTR services (Have a look for 9T86, 9R46 and 1D59 through St Albans to see the absolute state of the MML timetable at the moment www.realtimetrains.co.uk/search/advanced/SAC/2018/07/30/1719)

In all cases, the final arrival was on-time because the EMT timetable is so generously padded

 

[John Webb]

Why would you expect the problems to be sorted out? As long as the London commuters on Thameslink are kept happy the DfT won't shew any interest in MML inter-city passengers and their services.

Surely most of the MML passengers are also commuters, albeit long-distance ones. I would have thought that they will be pressing their MPs etc. for a resolution of the problem!

 

[Senex]

Surely most of the MML passengers are also commuters, albeit long-distance ones. I would have thought that they will be pressing their MPs etc. for a resolution of the problem!

What's your definition of commuters? I'd have thought that the number of passengers travelling daily to and from London for work purposes from Leicester, Derby, Nottingham, and Sheffield, south in the morning peak and north in the evening peak, was a relatively small proportion of the total business and leisure passengers using MML inter-city in the course of the whole day. Are there any published statistics?

 

[Flying Phil]

Travelling North from MH today I could see that there has been a small amount of prep work at the North end of the Great Bowden curve, cut - off chord.

 

[Denis103]

With regards to the comment about the blue lines, the new alignment actually starts at the current end of the down platform London end.

All of the up and down platforms will be rebuilt on the straight. The existing junction will be removed and realigned between little Bowden crossing and the south end of the station and a new junction provided immediately north of the ends of the new platforms beyond the new northbound signals which will be provided.

North of the new junction the lines will curve across towards the existing alignment but the down line will run through the old bridge portal from the closed line whilst the up line will slew across westwards in the existing portal.

The new alignments will come together north of that bridge. The proposed new alignment across pony paddock at the north end bit the dust some months ago on a value for money exercise.

 

[edwin_m]

The proposed new alignment across pony paddock at the north end bit the dust some months ago on a value for money exercise.

You have confirmed my suspicions about this part being taken out. Short-sighted in my view, but then again what do I know...

This being so I wonder where the wires will finish, assuming they get to Market Harborough at all. A train length beyond the signals protecting the crossovers would allow a bi-mode to turn around if for some reason it couldn't continue on diesel power, but this might involve re-building another bridge or two and perhaps is considered too unlikely to justify the extra cost.

 

[InTheEastMids]

Little Bowden Footbridge:

Not part of the station /linespeed upgrade, but a yellow NR sign has appeared at the crossing site announcing work starting on 10/09/18 for ~14 weeks.

I expect this is the bridge finally being built ~3 years after NR originally closed the right of way.

 

[Flying Phil]

There are more workers and plant on - site today and work is being done on the embankment to the North West of the station. More material is being assembled on the old car park and an extra 4 units of office/facilities have been put up alongside the station building.

 

[InTheEastMids]

There are more workers and plant on - site today and work is being done on the embankment to the North West of the station. More material is being assembled on the old car park and an extra 4 units of office/facilities have been put up alongside the station building.

Thanks for the update. For sure, they need to crack on, if they are going to open the new platforms and alignment in May 2019, as indicated when the car park was opened, as reported below:

http://www.harborough-rail.co.uk/news-item.php?news=68

 

[eastdyke]

I was there yesterday and noted the blue markings on the up platform which show where the front and back platform faces will be (at a point fairly near the underpass exit).
The new car park was pretty well filled (I know it will be extended after the re-alignment) but saw that none of the 14 disabled spaces was in use.
In that regard as NR have closed/are closing the barrow crossing 'during September':
https://www.eastmidlandstrains.co.uk/information/media/news/marketharborough/

However, if a customer does need assistance to change platforms, East Midlands Trains are happy to help. Customers will be provided with a free fully accessible taxi between platforms. Simply speak to a member of staff or use a Help Point in the station.

 

[snowball]

Press release

https://www.networkrail.co.uk/feeds...t-leicestershire-level-crossing-begins-today/

Network Rail have today (Monday, 10 September) begun work to construct a new footbridge at Little Bowden level crossing as part of the Railway Upgrade Plan.


The investment will provide a safe route across the railway for residents, as well as creating a vital pedestrian route to Little Bowden primary school and nearby leisure facilities.

The new footbridge will replace the existing level crossing, which has been closed since August 2015.

Rob McIntosh, Route Managing Director at Network Rail, said: “We’re delighted that work has begun on this important project.

“We are always looking at ways that we can improve safety and building this footbridge is one way we can do this.

“We’d like to thank residents for their patience whilst this project takes place and we look forward to them reaping the benefits.”

 

[Corncob]

Press release

https://www.networkrail.co.uk/feeds...t-leicestershire-level-crossing-begins-today/

Nothing happening today at 15.30

 

[InTheEastMids]

Nothing happening today at 15.30

There were contractor vehicles at the site yesterday. But expect they're doing the boring stuff like establishing the site office/compound inside the Welland Valley Traction site.

 

[Flying Phil]

There is a road closure scheduled for 17th and 18th on the section next to the footbridge.

 

[Flying Phil]

Work has continued on the west side embankment. There are long lengths of new rail South of the platform and along the platform on the existing North bound track. Would they be replacing the existing rails given the new track in a years time??

 

[Flying Phil]

Here is the view from Great Bowden Bridge looking South towards the Station. It looks like they will be cutting into the embankment to straighten the alignment as much as possible. The single track panel seems to be in a random orientation!

 

[Flying Phil]

The track panel has been removed! More work is being done on the embankment, but it is really too far away for any worthwhile photographs. The new lengths of rail are still between the rails in the station.

 

[Flying Phil]

They are still doing the groundworks to the North of the station but there is now a big water leak across the roadway on the Great Bowden bridge. Following the Barrow on Soar incident, I expect it will get fixed quite quickly!

 

[steevp]

They are still doing the groundworks to the North of the station but there is now a big water leak across the roadway on the Great Bowden bridge. Following the Barrow on Soar incident, I expect it will get fixed quite quickly!

Or will they have to rename the station "Market Harborough on the Water"

 

[Flying Phil]

The water leak has been fixed, there is more work going on in the woods above the embankment and a lot of steel piles have been delivered so that part of the embankment can be removed to get the straightest alignment.
There are now footings excavated for part of the Southbound platform, re bars are waiting to go in.

 

[Kingham West]

The water leak has been fixed, there is more work going on in the woods above the embankment and a lot of steel piles have been delivered so that part of the embankment can be removed to get the straightest alignment. View attachment 53762 View attachment 53763
There are now footings excavated for part of the Southbound platform, re bars are waiting to go in.

I took this photo of works last Wednesday , it’s a pretty impressive job, and seeing it from the air gives an idea of scale, there is another sharp curve just north of Market Harborough.

 

[Flying Phil]

I went to the South of the station and there are now four bases in place for the footbridge
At the station they have prepared the base for the North end of the new Southbound platform and have started to put the re-bars in place for concrete pouring later this week(?)

 

[38Cto15E]

I see that there was over running engineering work at Market Harborough this morning which caused cancellations and diverts until 0900, but it must have been something other than the above as I cannot see that causing problems.

 

[SilentGrade]

I see that there was over running engineering work at Market Harborough this morning which caused cancellations and diverts until 0900, but it must have been something other than the above as I cannot see that causing problems.

There was an RRV that decided it didn’t like standing up and subsequently needed recovering

 

[38Cto15E]

BBC East Midlands Breakfast news this morning said there was a meeting today between Network Rail and Market Harborough passengers about future developments in the area, sorry I cannot add any more.

 

[snowball]

BBC East Midlands Breakfast news this morning said there was a meeting today between Network Rail and Market Harborough passengers about future developments in the area, sorry I cannot add any more.

The meeting is mentioned in this press release from a couple of weeks ago:

https://www.networkrail.co.uk/feeds...nd-out-about-latest-stage-of-railway-upgrade/

Network Rail is inviting Market Harborough residents to find out about progress on a project to upgrade the railway in the area.

The Market Harborough Line Speed Improvement Project is part of the Midland Main Line Upgrade. The line through the station will be straightened to allow trains to travel on that section of track at a higher speed.

The Market Harborough Line Speed Improvement Project is part of the £40billion investment programme taking place across Britain’s railways. This investment represents the largest modernisation of the railways since Victorian times and will provide reliable, efficient transport infrastructure for the future.

The latest stage of work has seen Network Rail begin to strengthen bridges in the town and workers have begun to dig out the new track bed, where the straightened line will go.

Once completed, the work will see improved access at the station for those with additional access needs and longer platforms to accommodate longer trains. The scheme will also increase the amount of parking at the station by 200 spaces.

Residents wishing to find out more about the scheme, as well as the latest work taking place, are invited to a public information event on Wednesday, 24 October between 14:00 and 19:00. The event will take place in the booking hall at Market Harborough railway station.

Representatives from Network Rail will be on hand to answer any questions which residents may have.

Those wishing to find out more about The scheme, but are unable to attend the event, can call the Network Rail National Helpline on 03457 11 41 41 or visit https://www.networkrail.co.uk/runni...et-harborough-line-speed-improvement-project/

 

[richieb1971]

As far as south of Market Harborough is concerned I would believe the 4 tracking starting at Glendon could be utilized to shove stoppers onto the slows and let free roaming fast trains have an open road.