Main works to electrify the Midland Mainline between Kettering and Market Harborough will start on December 24, 2021, laying the foundation for the planned upgrade of the line all the way to Sheffield and Nottingham and setting the starting gun for quieter trains, greater decarbonization, better connectivity and more local services across the region.
The Integrated Rail Plan is the blueprint for the UK government’s commitment to building better transport links, generating prosperity and opportunity across the North and Midlands up to 15 years sooner than previously planned, all while delivering on levelling up the country.
Works over Christmas and the New Year between Manchester Victoria and Stalybridge will speed up the electrification and resignalling of the railway and renew the track, which is a critical stage in the Transpennine Route Upgrade (TRU). This will pave the way for delivering passengers in Greater Manchester faster, more frequent, and more reliable trains.
Transport secretary Grant Shapps said, “Last month, I promised we would get on with delivering the Integrated Rail Plan by Christmas and that’s exactly what we’re doing. Today marks the beginning of a transformation of rail journeys for the Midlands and the North, where we will slash journey times and build better connections between towns, cities and everywhere in between. Under our plans, people won’t have to wait 2 decades for better services. This unprecedented investment will deliver better railways sooner.”
As the first part of Northern Powerhouse Rail, TRU will transform the railway between York and Manchester, delivering more reliable and comfortable services while cutting journey times between two of the economic powerhouses in the north – Manchester and Leeds – first to 41 minutes then eventually to 33 minutes. Full electrification of TRU will also increase capacity on the network by more than 90%.
The Integrated Rail Plan will cut journey times from Chesterfield to London to 76 minutes, Derby to London to 58 minutes and Nottingham to London to 57 minutes. Passengers will also see services and capacity nearly doubled, making travelling by train more convenient and comfortable.
It sets out a commitment to three new high-speed lines including the completion of HS2 from Crewe to Manchester, a new high-speed line between Birmingham and East Midlands Parkway, and a new high-speed line between Warrington, Manchester, and Yorkshire.
Silviya Barrett, head of policy and research at Campaign for Better Transport, concluded, “This is good news for passengers who will benefit from quicker journeys and better connections, and good news for the planet. Electrifying more of the railway is key to helping make one of our greenest forms of transport even greener.”