The project to electrify the Midland Mainline between Kettering and Wigston has reached its goal with the system having been declared safe with authorisation to run electric trains.
The Authorisation to Place into Service (APiS) of this newly electrified section of the Midland Mainline has been given the green light by the Office of Rail and Road (ORR).
As part of Network Rail’s Midland Mainline Electrification Programme, the 23-mile section between the Northamptonshire and Leicestershire towns has also been completed on time and under budget.
The work undertaken at this stage of the project has seen the Midland Mainline closed on several occasions in recent months.
Masts and wires have been erected, along with the building of a new substation near Market Harborough to provide power to the wires.
The work has also involved using voltage-controlled clearance (VCC) technology, which has saved considerable time in potentially rebuilding seven bridges on the route, which would have necessitated significant road closures.
The electrification project is part of the Government’s 2050 net zero carbon target, with this particular project being the largest to be undertaken on the Midland Mainline since the line was completed in 1870.
Testing of the overhead power lines between Kettering and Wigston took place last summer. Following successful trials and the acquisition of data, the ORR has approved the operation of electric trains on this section of the line.
“This is a huge milestone for the Midland Mainline Electrification Programme. It was achieved on time and under budget, and builds on the previous completion of London to Corby, meaning electric trains are able to run on here in the future.
The use of VCC on this Kettering to Wigston section has also saved time, money and avoided lengthy road closures. Where it can be used, it’s a much better solution for residents living nearby, and for this project it reduced more complex interventions such as bridge reconstructions.”
Jorge Roque, Network Rail senior programme integration manager
Responses
Good news that this came in UNDER budget – clearly something has gone right (unlike the horror of the Great Western Main Line). Hopefully this will increase confidence within the Government for cracking on with the rest of the line, as far as Sheffield.
Well you know the expression of the Emperor is not wearing any clothes ?
Am I the only person to flag up with the ORR specs on trains of tri-mode Diesel/25KV/third rail that surely it is compartively so much cheaper for third rail to be installed in so many locations ?
With no steel structures and severe disruptions produced and also that the third rails under numerous bridges at 125mph, I await any justification to spend, spend, spend on 25KV lines.
Really the third rail circuitry only needs the odd few hundreds of metres under the problem bridges etc to save so much money.
Third rail has limitations on speed and line capacity that make it unsuitable for main line trains. That’s why third rail is used mostly on commuter routes.
School boy physics gets in the way of that idea. 3rd rail DC operates at 750VDC so to draw the same power compared to 25kv current would be over three times as much, that results in massive volt drop on an already low voltage system necessitating feeder stations connected to the grid every few miles. That more than negates the any cost savings compared to OHLE. Current collection from 3rd rail is also limited to 100mph so no good for high speed inter city applications
I live in between Nottingham and Sheffield when used the Midlands Mainline to commute to work in the Mid 1980s I recall discussions regarding the line being electrified.
Good to hear that some 40 years later electrification is only 60 miles away.