​“We are sorry to announce that the 09:57 East Midlands Railway service to London St Pancras has been cancelled.  This is due to more trains than usual needing repairs at the same time.”
We have become all too familiar with messages of this kind over the station tannoy system in recent months.  OK, stuff happens, and there will always be train cancellations, but the situation has now become serious to the point of unsustainable.  The reliability of our train service has reached a point where people are losing faith and are switching to other routes or not using the train.
The basic reason is that, despite valiant efforts by maintenance crews and others to run as many trains as they can, there just isn’t enough rolling stock.
Our new Class 810 Aurora bi-mode (electric + diesel) trains are very late in delivery from Hitachi.  They are also proving unreliable in service.  In addition, one was severely damaged in the tragic accident south of Bedford on 19th June.
Our old Class 222 Meridian diesel units, which have served us well, are reduced in number as five have been transferred away for use by another operator.   Those that remain are being used intensively, to provide as good a service as possible, but this means reduced maintenance downtime (consistent with maintaining safety, of course) and increased in-service failures.  We now have a level of cancellations that is severely denting public confidence in the train service.  The effect on the travelling public is severe, especially when consecutive trains are cancelled.   We also recognise that the frontline staff are embarrassed by all this and can face anger from disgruntled and distressed passengers.
Harborough Rail Users discussed this with EMR back in April, but the situation has got measurably worse since then.  We have now written again to EMR and to Neil O’Brien MP, calling for an apology from EMR, regular information and updates on a recovery plan, and a realistic assessment of how long this situation is expected to continue.
We shall continue to do what we can to press for an early resumption of an acceptable level of service on our line.

The summer timetable came into effect nationally on Sunday 17th May 2026.  There is little change for the EMR Intercity service.  The May 2026 timetable can be obtained from EMR’s website here: https://www.eastmidlandsrailway.co.uk/media/5762/download?inline

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 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.