Harborough Rail Users held an open Committee meeting at The Oat Hill bar on Kettering Road on Tuesday evening, 24th September 2019.
Topics covered included the new Abellio EMR franchise; the rebuilding of Market Harborough station and related work on the line; future rolling-stock plans for both the main line and the Corby electric services; forthcoming weekend engineering work including the planned replacement bus services; and the HRU AGM in November, date to be arranged.
Though HRU has an elected Committee, our meetings are open to all with an interest in the station and train service at Market Harborough.

The next Committee meeting of HRU has been arranged for Monday 29th April, starting at 18:00, in the front bar of the Oat Hill pub restaurant on Kettering Road, Little Bowden.  On the agenda are the new East Midlands franchise announcement plus the rebuilding of Market Harborough station and the associated forthcoming line closure from 28th May to 2nd June.  Anyone with an interest in the train service from Market Harborough is welcome to attend.

Representatives from HRU and local cycling groups met East Midlands Trains at the station on Monday 1st April, to discuss cycling facilities at the rebuilt station.  Cycle parking at the station has been of fairly low quality for a long time and EMT have been working on designs and funding sources for much improved provision, such as a cycle hub.  EMT undertook to take account of the comments and suggestions made in drawing up the plans for enhancements, subject to a favourable funding decision.  We anticipate that decisions will be made within the next few weeks.

At the 2018 AGM on 29th November, Harborough Rail Users reviewed the past year’s activities and set the scene for campaign topics for the next year. 
Important decisions will be made over the next few months that will have a major effect on our station and train services for many years to come.

​The main issues for Harborough Rail Users are:

1. Market Harborough station, including the Access for All improvements and track realignment.  The new platforms are beginning to take shape and some of the new track has been laid.  It will be a major improvement on the present station, but we will continue to press for better access arrangements from the booking hall to the new platforms, better shelter, provision of facilities such as toilets for the southbound platform, and the promised cycle hub. 
2. The next East Midlands franchise.  We have submitted our detailed response to the Department for Transport consultation.  We have also met all three companies who are bidding and have given them details of what we hope to see in the next franchise, which is due to start in August 2019.   The government’s specification retains our essential two trains per hour service in each direction throughout the day. We need to retain a good mix of fast and stopping trains, combining regular fast services to London with stopping trains giving good connectivity to intermediate stations such as Kettering, Bedford and Luton Airport Parkway, plus good connections for Corby.  We have called for some timetable improvements such as earlier trains northbound in the morning, including Sundays, and later last trains southbound in the evenings.  The franchise specification requires the reinstatement of peak-time trains between Wellingborough and Bedford ‘as soon as reasonably practical’.
3. Electrification.  Though the scheme for the whole line north of Kettering has been cancelled, we await the decision on whether overhead wires or an underground conduit will be used to connect the Corby line electrification to the planned power substation at Braybrooke.  If overhead lines are to be installed, a further decision is awaited on whether that would then be extended for ‘the last mile’ into Market Harborough.  On a related note, decisions are awaited on rolling stock.  The franchise specification requires a new fleet of bi-mode trains for the main line, to be fully in service by the end of 2023.  We shall be taking a keen interest in the specifications for any new bi-mode or other trains that may be ordered.  There also remains the question of replacing or modifying the present HSTs to make them compliant with accessibility and other regulations that come into force in 2020, three years before full introduction of any new stock.

Harborough Rail Users held their AGM last night, 23rd November.  As well as electing the committee for the forthcoming year, the group adopted a revised constitution (See Library tab).  This includes some updates and other provisions to reflect the working relationships and arrangements that have developed over the past few years, for example in HRU's dealings with the rail industry and with other transport pressure groups.
The AGM also reviewed the campaign topics for the next year.  Not surprisingly, these include the station upgrade, with particular reference to accessibility for the disabled plus amenities at platform level.  HRU will also be following developments with the next franchise, both in terms of the train service pattern and the quality of the next generation of rolling stock, especially now that electrification of the main line has been abandoned.