Rail passengers are being urged to check before travelling this August by Network Rail as upgrade work takes place to improve journeys.
To allow the work to be carried out, sections of the Midland Main Line will be closed meaning passengers may need to change trains or use rail replacement buses.
Being carried out over weekends and during the August Bank Holiday, the work includes:
- 1/2 August – work will continue ahead of construction of the new Brent Cross West Station, which is expected to open in 2022.
- 8/9 and 15/16 August – Work will be carried out to renew the track on the approach to St Pancras International station.
- 22/23 August – engineers will test and commission new overhead line equipment on the route.
- 29/30/31 August – Work will take place to commission the overhead lines and signalling system, as an important part of the construction of Brent Cross West station.
- 29/30/31 August – Work will be carried out to renew the track, and replace the sleepers and ballast, between Mill Hill Broadway and St Pancras International.
Gary Walsh, Route Director for Network Rail's East Midlands Route, said: “This vital work will improve journeys for passengers travelling on the Midland Main Line and will help to keep the railway running reliably and smoothly for many years to come.
“We are carrying out this work over weekends in August and the Bank Holiday weekend when fewer people travel. We strongly advise passengers to check before they travel with National Rail Enquiries or their train operator, and we would like to apologise for any inconvenience.”
A spokesperson on behalf of train operators on the route said: “We understand that any engineering work can be inconvenient, and we would like to thank our passengers for their patience whilst these improvements are carried out on the Midland Main Line.
“Passengers should check their individual journey in advance if they are travelling over the weekends throughout August. They may need to change trains, use alternative routes or use bus replacement services.
“This work is really important to improve journeys for passengers on the Midland Main Line and bring a more reliable railway.”
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How comes that Network Rail can not expand the Midland Main Line electrification from Kettering to Market Harborough, Loughborough, Leicester, East Midlands Parkway, Nottingham, Derby, Matlock, Sheffield and Leeds. And the electrification is only going as far as Corby and Kettering with the Class 360/1s to be modified to 110mph (177km/h) and cascaded from Greater Anglia for the London St. Pancras-Corby & Kettering electric services that is to start operation from December.
And EMR have opted for 33 5-Car Class 810 Bi-mode AT300s to be built and ready for service in 2022 to replace the Class 43 HST Mk3 and Class 222 Meridian DEMU units.
EMR are expected to inherit the Class 360/1s from Greater Anglia. But looks like they could be stored for some time until the overhead wiring electrification on the Midland Main Line is completed. Then EMR will start using the Class 360s on London St. Pancras-Corby and Kettering.