MML Electrification: progress updates

59CosG95 said:

https://flic.kr/p/NuS8uw SPS has started to go up on some of the TTCs near Oakley.

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Interesting that there are series 2/bonomi type components on 100mph+ lines!

Domh245 said:

Interesting that there are series 2/bonomi type components on 100mph+ lines!

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The MR Master Series catalogue includes updated Series 2/Bonomi equipment which can support multiple pans at up to 125mph, so they'll be sufficient for use on the MML.
(The fact that (at the time of design) 140mph with multiple pans was still an ambition on the GWML is why Series 1 is used there)

MML Wiring Progressometer 12.0 (as of 3rd of September 2018)
Mileages are from St. Pancras.

Bedford (49m 65ch) - Wellingborough (65m 09ch)

• Work to raise Ford End Rd bridge is now complete.
• About 4 piles now in on the Down side south of Bromham Rd Bridge, Bedford. These piles stretch northwards from Bromham Rd as far as the eye can see, towards the Great Ouse Bridge.
• 8-9 piles are now in on the Up side north of Bromham Rd Bridge; none are fully down yet.
• Two masts are up on the Up side, immediately south of the Great Ouse Box Girder Bridge (nr Bedford North Jct); one of them has a boom, the other doesn't.
• At Bromham, between the A6 (Great Ouse Way) & Lower Farm Rd (https://goo.gl/maps/rSPFrDAZQ362), 13 Twin Track Cantilevers/TTCs (with booms) are up over the Slow Lines, and about 6/7 over the Fast Lines. This includes the Box Girder bridge over the river Great Ouse.
• At least 9 boomed and dressed (aka. bedanglied)TTC masts have now gone up north of Lower Farm Rd, adjacent to the Down Fast; 2 similar structures are now up adjacent to the Up Slow here too.
• Nothing up yet around Pavenham.
• To the south of Oakley, all the TTCs that are up appear to have sprouted their registration arms (https://flic.kr/p/NuS8uw). The extent of these running southwards is not yet clear.
• At Oakley, on the site of the old station (just south of Station Rd Bridge), all visible piles over both lines now carry TTC booms. Between Station Rd & Highfield Rd bridges, all TTCS over the Slows and Fasts are now boomed.
• Another upright has gone up to the north of Highfield Rd bridge, adjacent to the Down Fast.
• 2 piles are in just south of Oakley Viaduct (https://goo.gl/maps/r5oXUSSPSAo); one next to the DF, another next to the US. These seem to have been in for a while.
• Lots of TTCs also up over both pairs of lines around Milton Ernest (between Radwell Rd & East End; https://goo.gl/maps/V5afGGQEZiE2).
• Between Radwell Rd & New Rd, a TTC mast has been placed between the Up Fast & Down Slow, as the embankment adjacent to the Up Slow had to be replaced with a gabion retaining wall.
• About 6 TTCs are up immediately to the north of Radwell Viaduct, over the Slow lines (https://goo.gl/maps/r5oXUSSPSAo); 3 more TTCs are up accompanying them over the Fast lines (positioned between the pairs of lines). Another 2 are now up over the Slows south of the viaduct. Masts for 2 portal booms are up at the southern end of the viaduct; the portal for the Fast lines has gained its boom.
• Roughly 3 or 4 piles (now with boomless TTC masts) are in next to the Down Fast, and another 4 (3 of which have boomed TTC masts) next to the Up Slow just north of Moor End Lane, Radwell (https://goo.gl/maps/cmgWsgyYAo62). South of Moor End Lane (but north of the next bridge to the south), about 5 TTC masts are up (2 of which have booms) adjacent to the Up Slow, with a similar number in adjacent to the Down Fast. South of that bridge, another 2 piles have masts (possibly w/ booms).
• 2 parallel piles are in place (no masts) adjacent to the Fast lines at Radwell; possibly for a portal frame?
• Almost all masts are now up over the Slow lines, from just north of Park Ln, Sharnbrook (https://goo.gl/maps/df2As431FDr) to Sharnbrook Rd overbridge (southern end of Souldrop bank); the 4-tracking here is not yet complete as signals "WH378" and “LR 8” sit right in the path of the restored Up Slow. Some TTCs have now gone up on the Fasts between these bridges too.
• 3 masts (1 with a TTC boom) are now in next to the future Down Slow at Souldrop, at the southern end of the bank (nr Sharnbrook Rd overbridge).
• Between Wymington (https://goo.gl/maps/apZ6wwj9StR2) and Wellingboro', intensive 4-tracking is underway, with the reversible Slow Line now reopened. Near the Google Maps link posted for Wymington, the car park used for the 4-tracking works is due to house a National Grid substation for the electrification; the concrete base has now been laid for the substation. Link to application to Beds Council: http://www.publicaccess.bedford.gov...ils.do?activeTab=summary&keyVal=ONBIS8CUMMJ00
• In the Wymington area at this stage; piles are mostly in on the Fasts, with around 3 STC masts up adjacent to the Up Fast. On the Slows, a number of STCs and TTCs have gone up, with at least two twin track portals also up.
• Mast-wise, not much up around Kangaroo Spinney (https://goo.gl/maps/K8C8gkgvNaD2) or Irchester (https://goo.gl/maps/SxEfjQV71Ly) at this point.
• 2 piles now in between the Up Fast & Down Slow north of Station Rd Bridge, Irchester; 9 piles have also gone in adjacent to the Down Fast on this stretch.
• Station Rd Bridge, Irchester (see above link) is closed from 9/4 to 22/11 to allow reconstruction for OLE; the replacement deck over the Relief Lines is now complete.

Wellingborough (65m 09ch) - Kettering (72m 01ch)

• Extensive 4-tracking laid (except at points where existing infrastructure has to be moved).
• Finedon Rd Bridge is closed from 22/3 to 28/9 to allow reconstruction for OLE.
• At least 6 TTC masts (with booms) are now in position between Finedon Rd Bridge and the curve to the south of Harrowden Junction. These are mainly on the Down side; work has yet to commence on the Up side equivalents.
• TTCs stretch north from Harrowden Junction over the Fast lines as far as the eye can see; only about 5 remain to go up from there to Finedon Station Road. A couple of gaps remain where old equipment has to be removed e.g. the signal gantry at Harrowden Jct.
• Burton Latimer (south of the Weetabix factory) now has a number of TTCs up over the Slow lines to the south, to join the 2 TTCs up to the north of it (over the Fasts).

Kettering (72m 01ch) - Glendon Jct (74m 00ch) - Corby (79m 40ch)

• At Glendon Jct/Kettering North Jct, all piles on the Slow side have now grown TTCs with booms; at least 5 are now bedanglied ("dressed"). A few signal gantries from the BR days have been (or are due to be) removed. Unclear of progress with piling/masts on the Main line north of Glendon Junction.
• 2nd track now in operation, and linespeed raised to 90mph where it was previously 60mph.
• Largest piling gap around here is between the A14 & A43 bridges.
• A handful of masts (~10) are now up in the Great Oakley area, halfway between Glendon Jct & Corby. All are single track cantilevers.

North of Glendon Jct (74m 00ch)

• Braybrooke Substation approved. To be located here: (https://goo.gl/maps/fuy1uZeDjdQ2).
• The extent of wiring towards Market Harboro' has been all but decided to reach the station itself.

Any updates would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks for the update, does this mean the 4 tracking is now through Welly station?

MK Tom said:

59CosG95, can I just take time to thank you for what is an extraordinarily detailed and comprehensive update.

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59CosG95 - seconded!

LeeLivery said:

Thanks for the update, does this mean the 4 tracking is now through Welly station?

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No - I think NR/contractors are doing a classic project thing known as "leaving the hard bits until last" - e.g. they haven't moved any/much electrical or signalling infrastructure that occupies space needed for the 4th track. Perhaps I'm being unkind, it might be hard to access the worksite with all the "Wellingborough East" infrastructure works ongoing.

I travelled to London again today - a few comments additional to the Progressometer:
Bedford - Welly:
- A lot of TTCs in the Bedford/Oakley area on the slow lines have now been fitted with small part steelwork, some are turned parallel to the tracks, it's not just a few here and there any more.
- Apart from the section between Irchester and Wellingborough, I'd say piling looks at least 80-90% complete (depends what's been done on the West side of the FLs and on the slow lines where it isn't visible.
- Lots of masts have gone up on the fast lines on the 2-track sections adjacent to Sharnbrook Tunnel and Wymington loop
Most of the progress over the summer does seem to have been South of Irchester.

Welly - Kett:
- There's a few piles next to the slow lines between the A14 and the A509 bridges
- There's a few piles at the South end of Kettering yard, either side of the bridge near Headlands
So the A14-A43 gap around Kettering where nothing much has been done is starting to be addressed

Kett - Glendon
- Contrary to the current update, there are several piles without masts around the A43 bridge North of Kettering, then a number of masts (some bedangled), then more piling around the curve towards Corby.

Glendon - Market Harborough:
- I'm pretty confident that nothing has been done... if there is, it's probably on the West side of the line, as I normally sit on the East side of the train to check on electrification/4-tracking progress
Whilst infrastructure is needed to connect up Braybrooke substation, the only electric trains any time soon will be to Corby, and they need to be on the slow lines from Kettering South Junction to get to Corby, hence works on the fast/main lines beyond that point are perhaps lower priority. You could get the Corby services up and running with just the masts and supply cable to Glendon, surely? There won't be anything to use the juice running that way until new EMT bimodes arrive.

As an aside, I noticed a compound at the North end of Cricklewood by the North Circular that seemed to be full of bits of mast, which I assume is headed for the MML scheme

InTheEastMids said:

59CosG95 - seconded!

No - I think NR/contractors are doing a classic project thing known as "leaving the hard bits until last" - e.g. they haven't moved any/much electrical or signalling infrastructure that occupies space needed for the 4th track. Perhaps I'm being unkind, it might be hard to access the worksite with all the "Wellingborough East" infrastructure works ongoing.

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Ah great thanks. I'm travelling on the Midland much less than I have been from now on, so I'll be watching this thread closely.

Wellingborough East will be going on for some time, I'm hoping they'll start the station works soon.

InTheEastMids said:

As an aside, I noticed a compound at the North end of Cricklewood by the North Circular that seemed to be full of bits of mast, which I assume is headed for the MML scheme

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There is every possibility that they may be using the bits there to replace some of the headspans, and allow the wires to be re-tensioned for 125mph (the can currently only do 110mph with multiple pans, and even then they have to be Brecknell Willis High-Speed pans; however, those pans are pretty much de rigeur on the MML now that the 319s have gone)

59CosG95 said:

There is every possibility that they may be using the bits there to replace some of the headspans, and allow the wires to be re-tensioned for 125mph (the can currently only do 110mph with multiple pans, and even then they have to be Brecknell Willis High-Speed pans; however, those pans are pretty much de rigeur on the MML now that the 319s have gone)

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It wouldn’t be ‘spares’ from when Cricklewood depot was remodelled and facilities added for 12-car trains, would it? You can tell where the headspans used to be, as there are a few bare poles which haven’t been dismantled. Also, I’ve noticed the masts in the compound have been there for quite a while now.

londonmidland said:

It wouldn’t be ‘spares’ from when Cricklewood depot was remodelled and facilities added for 12-car trains, would it? You can tell where the headspans used to be, as there are a few bare poles which haven’t been dismantled. Also, I’ve noticed the masts in the compound have been there for quite a while now.

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I find it ironic that the MML and ECML depots were remodelled with portals, but the main lines are stuck with headspans

InTheEastMids said:

No - I think NR/contractors are doing a classic project thing known as "leaving the hard bits until last" - e.g. they haven't moved any/much electrical or signalling infrastructure that occupies space needed for the 4th track. Perhaps I'm being unkind, it might be hard to access the worksite with all the "Wellingborough East" infrastructure works ongoing.

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It's going to be easier to get at the platform before they put a track in the way - especially if they need to do anything below ground level.

If they move the signals that are in the way of the fourth track then the third track may become unusable in that direction, as the re-located signal would probably fail sighting. There's at least one gantry leg in the way too (I think it was on here a page or two back) and that would need a possession of all four tracks. I wonder if all this will be dealt with over Christmas/New Year, possibly closing the slow lines for the whole week and the fasts for shorter periods, with re-opening at least in part as a four-track railway.

Had a good long walk around the south and west side of the village (Wymington) today. Got some nice photos of the works which I've uploaded.
Looks like there's some works going on at one of the bridges at the northern end of the village - where the slow lines divert. There's bright green signs (temporary speed limits?) and the trains certainly appeared to be running slower. There was also a considerable amount of noise as I walked nearby.

See individual pictures for descriptions.
View media item 3210View media item 3208View media item 3207View media item 3206View media item 3205View media item 3204View media item 3211

Can anyone specify why a new track needs to be that deep in ballast please?

All the track along this way is ballasted to the top of the rail head.

The ballast will be packed down (tamped) around the sleepers and will end up at the usual depth.

What is the current OHLE south of Bedford rated at again? Is it 100mph or 110mph?

richieb1971 said:

Can anyone specify why a new track needs to be that deep in ballast please?

All the track along this way is ballasted to the top of the rail head.

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edwin_m said:

The ballast will be packed down (tamped) around the sleepers and will end up at the usual depth.

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It’s a common method of construction for new lines. The track is laid on the base formation, or sometimes on part of the bottom ballast, then all the remaining ballast is dropped on top. The track then goes through a number of cycles of being lifted up through the ballast by up to 50mm or so with a tamper, then consolidated down through dynamic track stabilisation. The old French standard for high speed lines was to do 7 cycles of this, and HS 1 was done that way too. Although labourious, it does give an excellent final track geometry.

Even with conventional track renewals, the usual process is to lift (by tamping) the track twice through the ballast before opening for service, and then again a week later to remove the post works temporary speed restriction.

For the track pictured, it will be tamped When the rest of it is connected up I should imagine, and will then look like the finished article.

londonmidland said:

What is the current OHLE south of Bedford rated at again? Is it 100mph or 110mph?

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I seem to remember from past discussions it is currently tensioned for 100mph multiple pan, 110mph single pan is probably doable. Probably.

I went up to the overbridge just South of Grendon junction and there is no sign of any piling etc on the twin tracks of the MML to Market Harborough. Masts are up on the tracks to Corby.

Had a look around the south side of Wymington today. New progress:

• Nine masts on the fast line. Look like single track cantilever type (I was some distance away).
• Three piles near the foot bridge on the slow line (60m 56ch).
• Approximately five piles further down the slow line approaching the Souldrop tunnel.

Could well be more, I'll have a trek some time later this week.

MML Is wired north of Bedford will try to get pics tomorrow

MML Wiring Progressometer 13.0 (as of 18th of September 2018)
Mileages are from St. Pancras.

Bedford (49m 65ch) - Wellingborough (65m 09ch)

• Work to raise Ford End Rd bridge is now complete.
• On the Down side south of Bromham Rd Bridge, Bedford, at least 9 masts are now up. These masts stretch northwards from Bromham Rd as far as the eye can see, towards the Great Ouse Bridge. At least 1 pile still needs to be driven home. (@richieb1971, I await your findings for this stretch with anticipation!)
• 8-9 piles are now in on the Up side north of Bromham Rd Bridge; none are fully down yet.
• Two masts are up on the Up side, immediately south of the Great Ouse Box Girder Bridge (nr Bedford North Jct); one of them has a boom, the other doesn't.
• At Bromham, between the A6 (Great Ouse Way) & Lower Farm Rd (https://goo.gl/maps/rSPFrDAZQ362), 13 Twin Track Cantilevers/TTCs (with booms) are up over the Slow Lines, and about 6/7 over the Fast Lines. This includes the Box Girder bridge over the river Great Ouse.
• At least 9 boomed and dressed (aka. bedanglied)TTC masts have now gone up north of Lower Farm Rd, adjacent to the Down Fast; 2 similar structures are now up adjacent to the Up Slow here too.
• Nothing up yet around Pavenham.
• To the south of Oakley, all the TTCs that are up appear to have sprouted their registration arms (https://flic.kr/p/NuS8uw). The extent of these running southwards is not yet clear.
• At Oakley, on the site of the old station (just south of Station Rd Bridge), all visible piles over both lines now carry TTC booms. Between Station Rd & Highfield Rd bridges, all TTCS over the Slows and Fasts are now boomed.
• Another upright has gone up to the north of Highfield Rd bridge, adjacent to the Down Fast.
• 2 piles are in just south of Oakley Viaduct (https://goo.gl/maps/r5oXUSSPSAo); one next to the DF, another next to the US. These seem to have been in for a while.
• Lots of TTCs also up over both pairs of lines around Milton Ernest (between Radwell Rd & East End; https://goo.gl/maps/V5afGGQEZiE2).
• Between Radwell Rd & New Rd, a TTC mast has been placed between the Up Fast & Down Slow, as the embankment adjacent to the Up Slow had to be replaced with a gabion retaining wall.
• About 6 TTCs are up immediately to the north of Radwell Viaduct, over the Slow lines (https://goo.gl/maps/r5oXUSSPSAo); 3 more TTCs are up accompanying them over the Fast lines (positioned between the pairs of lines). Another 2 are now up over the Slows south of the viaduct. Masts for 2 portal booms are up at the southern end of the viaduct; the portal for the Fast lines has gained its boom.
• Roughly 3 or 4 piles (now with boomless TTC masts) are in next to the Down Fast, and another 4 (3 of which have boomed TTC masts) next to the Up Slow just north of Moor End Lane, Radwell (https://goo.gl/maps/cmgWsgyYAo62). South of Moor End Lane (but north of the next bridge to the south), about 5 TTC masts are up (2 of which have booms) adjacent to the Up Slow, with a similar number in adjacent to the Down Fast. South of that bridge, another 2 piles have masts (possibly w/ booms).
• 2 parallel piles are in place (no masts) adjacent to the Fast lines at Radwell; possibly for a portal frame?
• Almost all masts are now up over the Slow lines, from just north of Park Ln, Sharnbrook (https://goo.gl/maps/df2As431FDr) to Sharnbrook Rd overbridge (southern end of Souldrop bank); the 4-tracking here is not yet complete as signals "WH378" and “LR 8” sit right in the path of the restored Up Slow. Some TTCs have now gone up on the Fasts between these bridges too.
• 3 masts (1 with a TTC boom) are now in next to the future Down Slow at Souldrop, at the southern end of the bank (nr Sharnbrook Rd overbridge).
• Between Wymington (https://goo.gl/maps/apZ6wwj9StR2) and Wellingboro', intensive 4-tracking is underway, with the reversible Slow Line now reopened. Near the Google Maps link posted for Wymington, the car park used for the 4-tracking works is due to house a National Grid substation for the electrification; the concrete base has now been laid for the substation. Link to application to Beds Council: http://www.publicaccess.bedford.gov...ils.do?activeTab=summary&keyVal=ONBIS8CUMMJ00
• In the southern area of the Wymington Deviation, around 9 masts are now up on the Fasts (single cantilever type). North of Souldrop Tunnel, 3 piles are up near the footbridge at 60m56ch, and approx 5 are further down near the tunnel.
• On the Slows at the northern end of the "deviation", a number of STCs and TTCs have gone up, with at least two twin track portals also up.
• Mast-wise, not much up around Kangaroo Spinney (https://goo.gl/maps/K8C8gkgvNaD2) or Irchester (https://goo.gl/maps/SxEfjQV71Ly) at this point.
• 2 piles now in between the Up Fast & Down Slow north of Station Rd Bridge, Irchester; 9 piles have also gone in adjacent to the Down Fast on this stretch.
• Station Rd Bridge, Irchester (see above link) is closed from 9/4 to 22/11 to allow reconstruction for OLE; the replacement deck over the Relief Lines is now complete.

Wellingborough (65m 09ch) - Kettering (72m 01ch)

• Extensive 4-tracking laid (except at points where existing infrastructure has to be moved).
• Finedon Rd Bridge is closed from 22/3 to 28/9 to allow reconstruction for OLE.
• At least 6 TTC masts (with booms) are now in position between Finedon Rd Bridge and the curve to the south of Harrowden Junction. These are mainly on the Down side; work has yet to commence on the Up side equivalents.
• TTCs stretch north from Harrowden Junction over the Fast lines as far as the eye can see; only about 5 remain to go up from there to Finedon Station Road. A couple of gaps remain where old equipment has to be removed e.g. the signal gantry at Harrowden Jct.
• Burton Latimer (south of the Weetabix factory) now has a number of TTCs up over the Slow lines to the south, to join the 2 TTCs up to the north of it (over the Fasts).

Kettering (72m 01ch) - Glendon Jct (74m 00ch) - Corby (79m 40ch)

• At Glendon Jct/Kettering North Jct, all piles on the Slow side have now grown TTCs with booms; at least 5 are now bedanglied ("dressed"). A few signal gantries from the BR days have been (or are due to be) removed. Unclear of progress with piling/masts on the Main line north of Glendon Junction.
• 2nd track now in operation, and linespeed raised to 90mph where it was previously 60mph.
• Largest piling gap around here is between the A14 & A43 bridges.
• A handful of masts (~10) are now up in the Great Oakley area, halfway between Glendon Jct & Corby. All are single track cantilevers.

North of Glendon Jct (74m 00ch)

• Braybrooke Substation approved. To be located here: (https://goo.gl/maps/fuy1uZeDjdQ2).
• The extent of wiring towards Market Harboro' has been all but decided to reach the station itself.

Any updates would be greatly appreciated.

Will take pic asap. Wires are up and visible near A6 roundabout but was driving.

Oakley station on slows were supposed to be aligned with fasts were they not for better top end speed? Masts are in alignment with invisible platforms.

richieb1971 said:

Will take pic asap. Wires are up and visible near A6 roundabout but was driving.

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Ahh, that must mean Bedford North Jct crossovers are now wired; presumably these are with 4-track portals due to the pointwork.

richieb1971 said:

Oakley station on slows were supposed to be aligned with fasts were they not for better top end speed? Masts are in alignment with invisible platforms.

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From a scan of Google Maps, there is a bridge just north of the old station site which links a small cluster of houses on the Up side of the line with Oakley village; re-alignment of the Slows would involve the demolition of that bridge - a move that would cut those houses off.
The track there looks like it could take a higher top end speed anyhow.

I am familiar with the spot spent many days there. The main road would have slows where they are now. Not sure about station lane but it's a new build. If the speed is not affected by much I suppose it's not worth the bother. I don't suppose there is any chance of Oakley getting slow services in future?

A bedfordian is currently on maternity leave and wants to know if she can commute directly to market harborough after EMT franchise change. Anyone?

Thanks.

richieb1971 said:

Will take pic asap. Wires are up and visible near A6 roundabout but was driving.

Oakley station on slows were supposed to be aligned with fasts were they not for better top end speed? Masts are in alignment with invisible platforms.

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didn't see any wires north of the A6 roundabout today - there's a power line that runs between the A6 and the MML that can look like wires are up at a glance.

I will get closer tomorrow and take pics where I saw the wires. I was close to a gantry yesterday and it's bolted 4 times to a platform in a concrete base. The wind was rocking it. I'm assuming the wires will provide tension to the whole structure.

Can confirm there have been no wires that have been put up between Bedford and Kettering as of today’s date.

Not sure about the Corby branch.

richieb1971 said:

A bedfordian is currently on maternity leave and wants to know if she can commute directly to market harborough after EMT franchise change. Anyone?

Thanks.

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We probably won't know until the winner is announced - the minimum spec seems to be 2 per hour from St Panc to Bedford which would be the Corby trains.

Mollman said:

We probably won't know until the winner is announced - the minimum spec seems to be 2 per hour from St Panc to Bedford which would be the Corby trains.

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She doesn't want to go to St. Pancras, she wants to go from Bedford to Market Harborough without changing in the peaks. Possible if 25kv is extended to MH after Corby. Probably possible now by HST.