Automatic Number Plate Recognition technology to be introduced at Market Harborough station car park

EMR have announced that many of their station car parks are to have Automatic Number Plate Recognition, ANPR, technology installed, starting later in October. 
Market Harborough is included, along with Kettering and Wellingborough, in November 2025. (Market Harborough will receive its ANPR equipment on 24th November 2025, which will come into use a day or two later.)
ANPR uses cameras to capture and recognise vehicle registration numbers, helping to manage car park access more efficiently and securely. EMR are working with car park operator APCOA and the system replaces car park tickets and card permits. 
EMR advise that customers will need to pay on arrival, within 30 minutes of entry.  Drop-off and pick-up zones included in ANPR areas will have a 30-minute free period.  As pick-up and drop spaces at Market Harborough are very limited, this is a significant advantage. If a journey is disrupted and customers return after their pre-paid day parking has expired, any extra charges can be refunded via APCOA's customer service team. 
Parking for Blue Badge holders will become park free of charge.  This is a major improvement, but users must register their vehicle in advance with APCOA.
Customers will continue to be charged a day rate while using the car parks - as is the case currently.  They will be able to pay for parking in the following ways:

• Paystations at stations
• Cash at station ticket offices - but only when the ticket office is open
• By phone (An automated telephony system)
• ScanPay (By scanning a QR code on signs at the station)
• By the APCOA Connect App
• On the APCOA website, including Auto-pay functionality to automatically charge each time the customer parks

More information about the ANPR system, including frequently asked questions, can be found here: https://www.eastmidlandsrailway.co.uk/anpr-car-parking
ANPR is well established at other stations around the country.  We in Harborough Rail Users welcome some of the changes ANPR will bring, not least because the car park barriers can be temperamental!  We are also pleased that Blue Badge holders will be able to park free of charge, subject to registering their vehicle beforehand.
​We have raised some questions with EMR regarding concessions for the station adopters (the volunteers who maintain the flower planters around the station) and the degree of flexibility allowed for car park season-ticket holders.