The 2020 Harborough Rail Users AGM took place on 28th November.  It was held online on Zoom because of the Covid pandemic.
It has been a most unusual year because of the pandemic, which has been very challenging for the railway.  EMR and Network Rail have worked hard to maintain as good a service as they have; significant cutbacks in late March being restored to give almost a full service for Market Harborough by September.  Nonetheless, HRU activity has continued, with meetings early in the year associated with further work on the station, and much email correspondence and telephone discussions on a number of topics since, and communication with EMR and Network Rail has remained good.  We have also had contact with local councillors and the MP regarding the station, and fares policy.
The past year has seen the opening of the car park extension and the cycle hub, the closure of the coffee shop, and liaison with Market Harborough in Bloom regarding their role as station adopters.  However, we still await new toilets and platform canopies as well as a decision on electrification.  Interim arrangements with rolling stock are clearer, as we await the new bi-mode ‘Aurora’ trains in 2023.
The AGM saw the existing Committee and officers re-elected.  The following campaign topics for HRU for the year ahead were agreed:

1. Train services.  The Covid crisis has suppressed passenger numbers massively.  Though the present level of train service is currently underwritten by the Government, this is unlikely to continue indefinitely at the present level.  Passenger numbers need to recover and revenue increase if we are to avoid cutbacks.  We shall remain alert to any threatened reductions, though EMR have given no hint of any such intention. We shall continue to press for improvements to the timetable including, but not limited to, better connections to the north, especially Leeds and Manchester.  We noted that the major timetable re-cast planned for December 2020, when the EMR Electrics service to Corby was due to start, has been postponed to May 2021 because of Covid.  HRU will take part in any consultations about future timetables.
   
2. Rolling stock.  Rolling stock plans for the short- and longer-term are now clearer, with the High Speed Trains (HSTs) due to be taken out of service and replaced in due course by Class 180 multiple units transferred from Hull Trains, plus from next May the Class 222 Meridians released by the Corby electrification.  The new Hitachi ‘Aurora’ Class 810 bi-mode (diesel + electric) trains are now on order and are due to enter service from 2023.  We are keen to see the interior fit-out of our new trains, including seating and the accessibility arrangements for disabled passengers.
   
3. Electrification.  We are keen to see the long-awaited decision on the ‘last mile’ electrification into Market Harborough, associated with the Corby line electrification and the planned power substation at Braybrooke.  We also wish to see the existing electrification between St Pancras and Bedford upgraded for higher speeds, even though the resulting time savings are reported as small.  We continue to support extension of Midland Main Line electrification northwards as well; a decision on this may become associated with decisions on whether the eastern branch of HS2 proceeds.
   
4. Market Harborough station.  We shall continue to press for enhancements to the station including the long-awaited new toilets and the promised platform canopies.  We noted the recent controversy surrounding the cycle hub, but it is now open and in use.  We also regret the closure of The Engine Room café shop and hope EMR will be able to re-let the shop unit to a new tenant at the earliest opportunity.
   
5. Northampton Line.  We shall maintain a watching brief on the proposal for the reopening of the Northampton Line, which we support.  Interestingly, it is mentioned in Network Rail’s July 2020 Leicester Area Strategic Advice document.  This is not the same as an actual go-ahead, but it is interesting to see a reference to it.  This document also proposes additional tracks between Leicester and Wigston to address conflicts between growing levels of east – west freight and the north – south passenger services through Leicester, which would benefit passengers travelling from Market Harborough. 

The long-awaited new cycle hub at Market Harborough station finally opened on Monday 16th November.  It was jointly funded by the Department for Transport, East Midlands Railway and Harborough District Council through a programme managed by cycling promotion group Sustrans.  It provides secure, weather-proof parking space for up to 140 bicycles.  Users need a fob ‘key’, application forms for which are obtainable from the booking office at the station; there is a £10 deposit which is returnable when the fob is returned.  The keys are time-limited to one year, though can be renewed.  This is to prevent unused keys remaining in circulation indefinitely.
The location of the cycle hub building in the station forecourt has attracted some local controversy and HRU were involved in discussions about this.  Other suggested locations in the new or old car park areas were ruled out, either for road safety reasons or because the land in question was not available.  Nonetheless, there is no doubt that the new facility is a major improvement on the rather ramshackle arrangements previously available, which were also vulnerable to cycle theft.  Indeed, a man recently pleaded guilty to stealing four bicycles from the station in 2019.  
A few cycle parking ‘pods’ remain in place outside the cycle hub building to provide bike parking for occasional users who may not wish to obtain a fob key.

Regular readers will recall that EMR have ordered a completely new fleet of 33 five-car Class 810 Hitachi bi-mode electric + diesel trains for the InterCity services between St Pancras and Nottingham, Derby and Sheffield, including our services here at Market Harborough.
​(See https://www.harborough-rail.org.uk/home/category/rolling-stock/2 and scroll down to 30/7/2019). 
Rather imaginatively, EMR then announced a public competition to come up with a class-name for these trains, like the new ‘Azuma’ trains on the LNER services out of King’s Cross.
More than 2,000 entries were submitted, and result of the competition was announced on 26th October 2020, Aurora.  To quote EMR: ‘Aurora is the name of the Roman goddess of the dawn, representing the new start Aurora provides for the railway serving the East Midlands and South Yorkshire.  It is also inspired by the Northern Lights, created by the transfer of the sun’s solar energy – matching Aurora’s ability to run under electric power.’
Construction is due to start later this year, with the first trains starting mainline testing in mid-2022, before entering passenger service in early 2023.  Here’s hoping they will provide a new dawn, especially as the railway and the nation recover after the Covid-19 crisis - and that solar-powered electricity will be available for them at least as far as Market Harborough!
More can be found at: https://www.railbusinessdaily.com/a-new-dawn-east-midlands-railway-new-intercity-fleet-to-be-named-aurora/

Before the old platforms at Market Harborough were demolished, two old British Railways platform trolleys served as bases for decorative planting by Market Harborough in Bloom (MHiB, who are the approved 'adopters' of Market Harborough station).  They made an attractive display but disappeared prior to the rebuilding of the station.  However, they were not taken away, but were dumped in the long grass by the access road to the old car park. There they quietly deteriorated.
However, Network Rail kindly agreed that local volunteers from HRU and MHiB could remove them for repair, with a view to reinstatement somewhere on the rebuilt station as a base for a new planting scheme.  The current plan is to place them, once fully restored, on the gravelled area near the steps from the new car park to the southbound platform.  Complete with a floral display, they would add a splash of colour to welcome passengers arriving at the station.
The pictures below show the trolleys on 23rd October 2020, just prior to being removed for repair.

Harborough Rail Users are holding their 2020 Annual General Meeting on Friday 27th November 2020, starting at 1:00pm.  Because of the Covid-19 crisis, the meeting this year will be held online on Zoom. 
As well as electing officers for the group for the forthcoming year, the meeting will consider relevant topics including reviewing the past year, which has of course been dominated by the implications of Covid-19 for the railway and its users.  Campaign priorities for the forthcoming year will also be considered.  Foremost among these is the future of the rail service post-Covid, including planned investment in the line, station and rolling stock.  The structure of the rail industry is also relevant to our services at Market Harborough.
Anyone who cares about Market Harborough's station and rail service and would like to attend the virtual AGM is invited to contact Harborough Rail Users via our Get in Touch facility.