The AGM of Harborough Rail Users took place as planned on 26th November at the Methodist Church Centre in the town.
Steve Jones was re-elected as Chair, and the other officers and Committee were elected for the forthcoming year.  We were pleased to welcome another new member to our Committee.  The meeting noted with pleasure the forthcoming reinstatement from December 15th of a later last train back from London on weekdays, at 22:35 from St Pancras.  We also noted the improved bus connections at the station since June. We are hopeful a new operator for the station café can soon be found.
The priorities for the group were confirmed.  These are:

• The train service and connectivity.  We shall continue to press for earlier first trains on Sundays, especially given the unreliability of the present first southbound trains. Improved connections at Kettering onto the EMR Connect service are a priority.  Better connections at Leicester for Birmingham are also sought.
• The introduction of the new ‘Aurora’ bi-mode trains. Once all are in service, these will bring greater capacity plus more reliable wi-fi and seat reservations.  Moreover, their operational performance may give rise to reviews of the timetable.  HRU would want to take part in any consultations about future timetables and stopping patterns, for example, the potential for some Intercity calls at Bedford and Luton Airport Parkway. Both have an important interchange role, which for Bedford will greatly increase when East West Rail opens to Oxford and eventually Cambridge.
• Further improvements to the station, including reopening of the café, and landscaping works;
• Monitoring the operation of ANPR in the station car park. This may help to alleviate the lack of designated short-stay parking on the east side of the station. We also continue to seek covered cycle parking for occasional users for whom joining the Cycle Hub scheme is not worthwhile;
• Further integration of bus services with trains at Market Harborough, especially extension of the X3 bus route to and from the station;
• Maintaining a continued watching brief on the debate about reopening the Northampton line.
• Possibly joining a Community Rail Partnership should that come into existence for Corby, Kettering and Wellingborough, as has been proposed. Doing so would help strengthen links between ‘the railway’ and ‘the community’, in turn giving us another means of access to more influence on rail services etc. at Market Harborough.

The 2024-25 HRU Annual Report can be viewed here:  

For a number of years now, our last train back from London on a weekday evening has been the 22:35 from St Pancras (22:31 on Saturdays). 
This is too early for an evening out in London.  There are later trains from London on weekdays, at 23:04 and 23:35, but these currently run via Corby and Manton Junction, bypassing Market Harborough.  One reason has been the overnight electrification work, but this is now complete.
Along with Harborough MP Neil O’Brien, we have been pressing EMR for reinstatement of a later last train for some time.
EMR have announced that from Monday 15th December, the 23:35 from St Pancras will call at Market Harborough (arr 01:13).

​EMR caution, however, that one week in six, this train will return to the Corby and Manton route, bypassing Market Harborough.  However, when that happens, there will be a bus connection from Kettering.  The reason is that the Corby and Manton route is often used for diversions when the line through Market Harborough is closed, e.g. for engineering work.  Train crews need to maintain up-to-date route knowledge, so this train will be used for that purpose one week in six.  It means that diversions can be put in place at short notice if need be.

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:
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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.
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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

• Our first train north, currently the 10:29 to Nottingham, will become the 10:13.  Though this will be 16 minutes earlier than now, which is welcome, it will still miss the 10:15 from Leicester to Derby and Sheffield.  To be fair, however, we will have a 10:39 direct to Sheffield, arriving at 11:57.

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!
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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]

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 
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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.

• Saturday 1 - Sunday 2 June, 
• Saturday 21 - Sunday 22 September, 
• Saturday 28 – Sunday 29 September, 
• Saturday 19 - Sunday 20 October, 
• Saturday 7 - Sunday 8 December,
• Saturday 21 to Sunday 29 December.

Engineering work will also take place in the Leicestershire and Northants area with some trains replaced by buses: 

• Saturday 8 - Sunday 9 June
• Sunday 23 Jun, 
• Saturday 27 – Sunday 28 July, 
• Saturday 3 – Sunday 4 August, 
• Saturday 10 November.

Other, less disruptive, work will be necessary at weekends and weekday evenings.
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.
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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:

• 0447 Derby to London St Pancras (via Nottingham) (0600 from MH)
• 0950 Nottingham to London St Pancras will not run (1026 from MH)
• 1412 Nottingham to London St Pancras will not run (1457 from MH)
• 1850 Nottingham to London St Pancras will not run (1925 from MH)

Northbound:

• 0735 London St Pancras to Nottingham will not run (0836 from MH)
• 1205 London St Pancras to Nottingham will not run (1305 from MH)
• 1635 London St Pancras to Nottingham will not run (1737 from MH)
• (Also the 2102 London St Pancras to Sheffield, but this does not call at MH)