On various weekends in 2026, engineering work means that the main line south of Bedford is closed. 
EMR trains terminate there, with connecting rail replacement buses to and from Hitchin and onward trains between there and Kings Cross.
EMR Intercity trains operate hourly in each direction between Bedford and Nottingham, calling at Market Harborough, and hourly between Bedford and Sheffield via Derby, not stopping at Market Harborough.
This has meant that our services are cut by half to hourly on these weekends.
We in Harborough Rail Users approached EMR querying whether there is sufficient demand to justify hourly non-stop trains between Leicester and Bedford when the line into London is closed.  We suggested that these trains would be more useful if they stopped at Market Harborough and Kettering as well, restoring a half-hourly service from our station.  
To our delight, EMR contacted us on 7th May to say that they would do just that!  Too short notice for the weekend of 9th – 10th May but in place for the weekends of 20th – 21st June and 27th – 28th June.  
We are grateful to EMR for listening to our proposal, giving it due consideration and putting it into effect.

The platforms at Market Harborough station are being substantially reconstructed during four weekends from 21-22 June to 12-13 July, with other work during weekdays where this does not affect train operations. 
It has been discovered that the infill material between the front and back walls has failed, leading to some unevenness and surface cracking.  It is being dug out and replaced.  As the platforms are only six years old, we understand this work is being undertaken by the contractors at no cost to the railway.  Luckily, the line is already closed at weekends until the end of July for track engineering work at Wigston, so advantage of that has been taken for the platform work. The station has been a very busy work-site, with many people and vehicles engaged and large tonnages of material both removed and delivered.
Replacement buses have been running every 20 minutes between Kettering, Market Harborough and Leicester during this work, though they would have been running anyway because of the other engineering work closing the line through Wigston.
The work is being done one section of the platforms at a time.  The contractors are clearly under pressure to complete each respective section and hand it back intact in time for the first train on Monday mornings.

In the new timetable starting on 12th December 2021, the last three Intercity trains from St Pancras on weekdays (23:05, 23:35 and 00:15 from St Pancras) are diverted via Corby, with bus connections from Kettering for Market Harborough.  This is to allow for overnight engineering work in connection with electrifying the line from Kettering.  As this arrangement is in place for the whole of the present timetable and beyond, we in Harborough Rail Users queried this with EMR.  They have confirmed that it is planned to continue at least until December 2023.  In the circumstances, it is understandable, and we hope the lengthy duration reflects the anticipated continuation of electrification beyond Market Harborough, as promised in the Government’s Integrated Rail Plan. 

Every year, excellence and achievements in the rail industry are celebrated in the National Rail Awards, the ‘Railway Oscars’.  There are numerous categories reflecting achievements in railway operations, customer service, business innovation and many others.  One of these is Infrastructure Achievement of the Year and the 2020 winner was contractor Amey Rail for the Market Harborough Line Speed and Station Improvement project.  This is a major accolade and we congratulate the teams involved in transforming our station at track and platform level plus the new car park. 

Network Rail have released a time-lapse video of the 2019 line upgrade work at Market Harborough, showing the main stages of the project from installation of the footbridge back in February 2019 to the first train on 3rd June.  It can be seen at https://vimeo.com/insideoutgrp/mmluprademarketharboroughjune2019.

The temporary speed restrictions through the station have now been removed, allowing trains not stopping to pass through at speed.