A month after announcing £96 billion of rail investment for the North and Midlands, work is starting on the Integrated Rail Plan with the launch of the next stage of Midland Main Line electrification.
Main works to electrify the Midland Mainline between Kettering and Market Harborough will start on 24 December 2021, laying the foundation for the planned upgrade of the line all the way to Sheffield and Nottingham and setting the starting gun for quieter trains, greater decarbonisation, better connectivity and more local services across the region.
Today (21 December 2021), on a visit to the Leicester hub of Network Rail contractors SPL, the Transport Secretary saw wiring gantries being built for the Midland Mainline and met with staff to mark the launch of the biggest ever government investment package for the North and Midlands, which will boost opportunity and support job creation across the regions.
Transport Secretary Grant Shapps said: ”Last month, I promised we would get on with delivering the Integrated Rail Plan by Christmas and that’s exactly what we’re doing.
“Today marks the beginning of a transformation of rail journeys for the Midlands and the North, where we will slash journey times and build better connections between towns, cities and everywhere in between.
“Under our plans, people won’t have to wait 2 decades for better services. This unprecedented investment will deliver better railways sooner.”
Maria Machancoses, Chief Executive Officer of Midlands Connect, said: “It is great to see the government putting the Integrated Rail Plan into action so quickly after the report was released. Extending the Midland Main Line electrification is an early Christmas present to the region and is the first step towards giving the East Midlands the transport infrastructure it deserves.
“Our job now is to build the infrastructure around it with HS2 trains coming to Derby and Nottingham through East Midlands Parkway and our flagship project the Midlands Rail Hub progressing well, too.
“Today’s news is testament to local councils, businesses and MPs who have successfully made the case for upgrades on the Midland Main Line for years and the Department for Transport for working with us. Today is a good day for the Midlands as spades start to go into the ground.”
Paul McKeown, Investment Director for Network Rail’s Eastern Region, added: “It’s our pleasure to welcome the Secretary of State to Leicester. This next phase of electrification will bring real benefits to passengers and the communities we serve in the East Midlands. Teams will be working throughout Christmas to install the equipment which will carry the electric wires as far north as Market Harborough.”
East Midlands Chamber (Derbyshire, Nottinghamshire, Leicestershire) Chief Executive, Scott Knowles, said: “Electrifying the Midland Main Line is one of the biggest infrastructure priorities for our region, so it’s fantastic to see some real progress finally being made with work beginning – a welcome early Christmas present for the East Midlands economy.
“After the huge disappointment of the HS2 Eastern Leg being scaled back significantly, once more leaving the East Midlands at risk of being structurally disadvantaged compared to the west of the country, this is a great opportunity for the Department for Transport (DfT) to demonstrate it is serious about delivering much-needed infrastructure in our region.
“It will also offer some confidence to potential investors that our region is a great place to spend their money, which ultimately benefits businesses and residents across Derbyshire, Leicestershire and Nottinghamshire because investment begets investment.
“However, it must be remembered that we were promised upgrades to this key rail route many years ago and we are merely playing catch-up. This is also just the first small step of a major project, so it’s important we now have a full timetable and clear milestones for the delivery of the entire Midland Main Line electrification.
“Timescales in the Integrated Rail Plan suggested it won’t be completed until 2030 at the earliest but we will be pushing the DfT to speed this up because after years of uncertainty over the future of our rail infrastructure, we can’t afford to waste any time.”
