News Front
PLAN TO EXTEND WIRES TO MARKET HARBOROUGH
IT’S ALL systems go on the Midland main line north of Bedford, ahead of the route’s big timetable change on 16 May. At that point, East Midlands Railway will introduce electric services operated by Class 360s between St Pancras and Corby, and will operate six instead of five trains per hour out of London.
For Network Rail this marks the culmination of the main elements of the London to Corby (L2C) programme. NR has installed 179km of new overhead wires between Bedford and Corby on new and existing line. A new 23km-long fourth track between Sharnbrook Junction and Kettering South Junction and a new fourth platform at Wellingborough station were authorised for use and entered service just before Christmas.
NR was targeting ORR authorisation of the new wires by the end of January, as EMR ramps up driver training ahead of the start of electric services in May. Mechanical testing, involving operation with the wires isolated, had been completed, but dynamic testing with the wires energised was ongoing. This uses a test train operated by Data Acquisition and Testing Services, comprising two Class 91s, a Class 90, Mk 3 coaches and Class 43 power cars, which …
