Posted 7th November 2012 | 11 Comments
£1.3bn means goodbye to 'Cinderella' main line
A SPECIAL online edition of Railnews -- RailnewsPlus -- is published today alongside the print edition for November, containing a special feature about the East Midlands, where the rail network is about to undergo a major overhaul as the result of an investment of £1.3 billion.
This will provide electrification of the Midland Main Line between Bedford and Corby, Nottingham and Derby/Sheffield, plus a significant upgrade of the whole route to handle the largest modern freight trains serving the ports of Ipswich, Southampton and Tilbury as well as a massive new one opening next year in the Thames Estuary.
“It means we have finally broken the myth of the Midland Main Line being the Cinderella route,” declares Martin Frobisher, managing director of Network Rail’s East Midlands Route. “By 2019, the Midland Main Line will be totally transformed.”
Reader Comments:
Views expressed in submitted comments are that of the author, and not necessarily shared by Railnews.
Peter Davidson, Alderley Edge, NW.England
@lorentz, London: "Peter Davidson - the funding has been announced as part of the CP5 proposal."
Nah - don't believe you
All investment funding for the classic line network is now being channelled into a massive piggy bank so we can afford HS2 - I know because I've just seen it flying past my window!
lorentz, London
Pendelinos? Good idea... could get the han-me-downs from the WCML if that isupgraded with newer high-speed trains ... oh back to Cinderella!
I believe the Gospel Oak section is being covered under a project with TfL.
Peter Davidson - the funding has been announced as part of the CP5 proposal.
Tim Price, Bestwood Village
Well the St Pancras services and freight stand to benefit from this upgrade, which is good news indeed, but nothing in this project will benefit local services in the East Midlands. It appears that we will have to soldier on with underpowered, unreliable, overcrowded Sprinters for years to come.
Stephen Lawrence, Cambridge, England
"Just to make room for the overhead wires, more than 50 bridges would have to be rebuilt.” (Theresa Villiers,Transport Minister thinking a little pessimistically)
Actually it's not just for the overhead wires - it's for larger freight trains and faster passenger trains. Rebuilding bridges in order to kill 3 birds with 1 stone seems a good deal.
Melvyn Windebank, Canvey Island, essex
I have read suggestions that given its curves the MML would be best suited to Pendolino trains, so perhaps an order for baby Pendolinos with tilt should be ordered with the Meridians moved to non electrified parts of the network allowing replacement of more HSTs?
As for Great Central Railway well just think had it not been closed those who oppose HS2 would now be living with a railway and would not even notice!!!
The article mentions Tilbury but unless the wires are extended from Gospel Oak to Tilbury these freight trains will be either diesel powered or forced to use over crowded North London Overground Line.
Makes one wonder if wires at northern end should also link to WCML and Northern hub to form a proper network!
jak jaye, sutton coldfield
Pity i like the MML it feels like a 'proper' railway unlike some others!
Leslie burge, leicester
A Freight flyover at South Wigston that should be good.
I hope they don't have problems with environmentalists.
The triangle there is a touchy area.
I for one am looking forward to all this work taking place asap.
H Harvey, Birmingham
Railnews is telling the truth. You just a typical ANTI who will never accept anything they do not want/believe in is good for the vast majority of the population.
No doubt you are preparing for HS2Y coming down your way soon.
You would NOT be prejudiced would you.
Come on now get YOUR facts straight and stop trying to deceive the public with YOUR prejudice and stories like you do!
Jamie, Sheffield (formerly of Farnborough)
Very droll Peter.
Does this mean that we on the Midland Mainline could benefit from the IEP trains and a potential 140 mph service?
John Edwards, Woodford Halse
It should have been the MML that was closed and not the GCML. Had this line remained open, the opportunities for freight would be far greater.
Peter Davidson, Alderley Edge, NW.England
I'm sorry - I don't believe this article
According to everything I've heard from the Anti-HS2 campaign, no money whatsoever is being spent on upgrading the classic line network and they always tell the truth, don't they?
Come on Railnews - get your facts straight and stop trying to deceive the public with positive news stories like this one!