Work To Electrify Railway Makes Rapid Progress

Work to electrify the railway to Market Harborough is progressing at pace.

Over 100 masts, which will support the overhead cables, have already been installed at the side of tracks, including on the approach to the town’s station.

Gantries installed at the side of the tracks in Braybrooke  Pic: Steve Jones

The £350m project by Network Rail, which began in full in December, will provide electrification from Kettering to Market Harborough, and is due to be completed by 2024.

Gavin Crook, Principal Programme Sponsor for Network Rail’s East Midlands route, said: “We’ve been pressing ahead in our programme to electrify the line between Market Harborough and Kettering.

“In just four weeks, we laid the foundation for and installed 115 steel columns along the side of the track, which will eventually carry electric wires.

“This is all part of the Midland Main Line Upgrade, which will better connect people to jobs, as well as opportunities for education and leisure.”

It will enable new environmentally-friendly ‘Bi-model’ trains to run between the two towns and eventually further north, with the rest of the Midland Mainline to be electrified in the future.

Steve Jones, Chairman of Harborough Rail Users Group, told Hfm the progress has been rapid:

Masts for the wires have gone up approaching Market Harborough railway station Pic: Steve Jones