A range of rail improvement projects will be carried out during a series of weekend engineering work affecting London journeys on the Midland Main Line.
Passengers are advised to plan ahead as journeys will take longer than usual because of the planned upgrades between Kettering and Leicester.
The improvements – taking place on six consecutive weekends from Saturday 21 June – will include upgrading track, signal and communications equipment and drainage systems, making the line more resilient and benefiting train performance.
There will also be progress made on the new phase of Midland Main Line electrification, between Wigston in Leicestershire and East Midlands Parkway, which will allow East Midlands Railway (EMR) to introduce its new greener fleet of bi-mode trains.
One aspect of this will be Network Rail physically lowering sections of track to accommodate overhead line equipment without the need to demolish and rebuild bridges. The benefits of this method include it being less disruption, for example because road closures are not required, and the costs being a fraction of a new bridge.
EMR will operate an amended timetable between London St Pancras and Nottingham/Sheffield. Trains will not call at Market Harborough.
Gavin Crook, principal programme sponsor for Network Rail, said: “We know the disruption caused by these important upgrades will frustrate some passengers but the long-term benefits will be significant.”
“Improvements will make the line more resilient, improving train performance, while lowering the track, where possible, will minimise disruption and costs.”
“We’re sorry that journeys will take longer than usual while the work is taking place, but these improvements will contribute to a more efficient railway with greener, smoother journeys in the future.”
Image credit: Network Rail
