|
EMR have recently advised of significant changes to our trains on Sundays from 15th December 2024. These result from completion of some engineering work south of Bedford such that all four tracks will be available from 09:00 on Sundays. At present, only two of the four tracks can be used, resulting in congestion and slowing journey times.
Many of our Sunday trains to London will be significantly speeded up, as follows: Southbound • MH 08:43 – London St Pancras 09:50 – (22-minute improvement) • MH 09:06 – London St Pancras 10:15 – (23-minute improvement) • MH 09:41 – London St Pancras 10:51 – (27-minute improvement) • MH 10:11 – London St Pancras 11:21 – (21-minute improvement) • MH 10:46 – London St Pancras 11:55 – (15-minute improvement) • MH 10:59 – London St Pancras 12:10 – (9-minute improvement) However, the 08:43 (currently 08:40) will be our first train to London. The present 07:43 and 08:10 will no longer run. EMR advise that this is because of Network Rail needing more engineering access to the lines in the Leicester, Nottingham and Derby areas. The loss of the first two trains is partly balanced by the faster journey time on the 08:40, so first arrival into London will be at 09:50 compared with 09:16 now, only 34 minutes later. However, earliest arrival times at the intermediate stations south of Kettering will be between 50 minutes and an hour later. For example, the first arrival time at Luton Airport Parkway from Market Harborough will be at 09:27, compared with 08:37 now. EMR advise that our first two trains “are currently significantly amended over 80% of the time, and are a mixture of buses for part of the journey, and / or re-timed and diverted”. Mind you, they are also capable of arriving early at St Pancras. Our experience is also that they are well used. Northbound
We met with EMR, including one of their timetable planners, on 4th September to discuss this. We put forward our concerns about the shortening of the operating day on Sunday, and the loss of capacity. The 07:43 is formed of 10 carriages, the 08:10 is five. We also expressed concern about the loss of early morning connectivity to the intermediate stations such as Luton Airport Parkway. There is the irony that, though the electrification is entirely for the purposes of upgrading and improving our line, and is now physically complete, we are faced with a trimming back of our Sunday train service! Do you use these first two trains south from Market Harborough on a Sunday? Let us know if you will be affected by this change. [email protected]  Steady as she goes. An EMR Meridian train awaits departure from Market Harborough for St Pancras. Rail timetables changed from Sunday 2nd June 2024, for the period until 14th December. There is almost no change to our timetable, with very minor adjustments to the timings of some trains. (For example, the 08:28 to St Pancras on weekdays becomes the 08:27!)
The full timetable is available here: https://www.eastmidlandsrailway.co.uk/timetables More importantly, major engineering work is planned, as follows: On the following dates, trains will be unable to run south of Luton or Bedford. A rail replacement bus operation will be in place; look for the amended timetables nearer the time.
Engineering work can also be cancelled. Please check before travel. EMR also advise that engineering work on the East Coast and West Coast Main Lines (King's Cross and Euston respectively) can mean more passengers travelling on EMR trains to and from London St Pancras. That can make them very busy! Please check for other train operators’ engineering work on nationalrail.co.uk or 03457 484950. Of course, we still wish to see reinstatement of early morning and late evening trains at Market Harborough once the electrification work is complete. Fingers crossed for at least some good news on this in December! On 17th January, EMR withdrew eight train services from the Intercity timetable, seven of which called at Market Harborough. This was because of Covid-related staff shortages; the planned reduction in the timetable being preferable to ad hoc cancellations of trains day by day. On 23rd February, EMR announced the reinstatement of these trains from Monday 28th February. In addition, many other services on their Regional network on Sundays will be reinstated from 27th February. We are pleased that these cutbacks, which have led to some overcrowding on the remaining services either side of the cancelled trains, have been reversed. The reinstated trains are: Southbound:
 Normal service to be resumed.
Two EMR Intercity services call at Market Harborough on 5th February 2022. Photo: Steve Jones EMR have advised that there are to be some temporary reductions in the timetable from Monday 17th January because of Covid-related staff shortages. In a letter to stakeholders on 11th January, they said: “EMR, like other rail operators and other industries, is experiencing high levels of Covid-related absence among its workforce. In addition, Government advice to work from home means passenger demand is also very low. Short notice cancellations are incredibly frustrating and something we are determined to avoid as much as possible. To help, we are removing approximately 4% of our services. This means we can protect those which are important for customers who are still travelling and provide a more reliable service. These changes will remain under constant review and amendments will be made as needed. You can find details of specific trains and routes on our website here: https://www.eastmidlandsrailway.co.uk/amended-timetable Owing to this, the handful of services that were planned to be reinstated on Monday 3rd January 2022 were not reinstated and instead form part of the list of amendments; as detailed in the route specifics on the webpage above. Given the week-by-week nature of the reductions, online journey planners will be updated on a weekly basis.” For us in Market Harborough, the affected (ie temporarily cancelled) trains are all on weekdays. The following trains will not run. Southbound:
There are no planned alterations to weekend services. The situation is subject to weekly review.  Reduced train service. The 15:03 to Nottingham is seen from the subway steps at Market Harborough on 13th January. This train is not one of those temporarily removed from the timetable.
Photo: Steve Jones 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.  On the buses. Rail replacement buses wait at Market Harborough for services to Kettering and Leicester on 18th December 2021 during a weekend line closure for engineering work. Late night trains at Market Harborough during the week are diverted via Corby, with bus connections from Kettering, until the end of next year at least.
Photo: Steve Jones |
Categories
All
Archives
March 2025
|
RSS Feed
