AMBITION FOR WIRES TO REACH NOTTINGHAM AND SHEFFIELD
PRIME MINISTER Boris Johnson has said the Government is determined to go ahead with full electrification of the Midland main line from London to Nottingham and Sheffield.
Electrification of the full route was due to be delivered under Network Rail’s Control Period 5 (2014-19) enhancements programme, but the scheme north of Kettering was paused when this faced delays and cost overruns, before being cancelled by Transport Secretary Chris Grayling in 2017 in favour of the introduction bi-mode trains on the route. East Midlands Railway has ordered a fleet of 33x5-car Class 810 bi-modes from Hitachi, which are due to enter service in 2023.
Network Rail has just completed electrification from Bedford to Kettering and Corby, with an extension from Kettering to Market Harborough due to follow by 2023 to connect the electrified stretch south of Kettering to a new power supply feed at Braybrooke.
The Prime Minister was questioned about electrification by reporters during a visit to Derbyshire in April. Asked if full electrification would be delivered, he responded: ‘Yes, because we see electrification of the Midland main line as a way of really driving much be…
