thatapanydude
Member
1) Northamptonshire Powerhouse Railway
Would there be merit and a sufficient case in reopening/building a line from Northampton to just south of Wellingborough station on the MML to create a route linking Northampton, Wellingborough, Kettering, Corby, Stamford and Peterborough following the line of the A43 roughly. I would call this line the "Northamptonshire Powerhouse".
For context there is already a X4 Stagecoach Gold bus linking Northampton and Peterborough together along with a well patronised and often congested route along the A43 from Kettering and A45 from Wellingborough both to Northampton, suggesting there may well be demand for a railway service. In addition there does seem a historic route from Northampton to Wellingborough which could be used as a base line or even some of the Northampton end of the former Bedford line.
As well as linking the Northamptonshire end of the MML to the WCML it does provide new links from the MML to the ECML at Peterborough via a Wing or through a new curve at South Luffenham.
A service such as Northampton - Cotton End/University - Wellingborough - Isham and Burton Latimer - Kettering - Corby - Stamford - Peterborough - March - Wisbech via reversal, I think would be achievable and well patronised for 1 train per hour and possibly 2 with smaller trains.
As part of this scheme, I would as many have suggested swing 1 of the EMR stoppers to Market Harborough but in addition reopen stations at Desborough and Rushden Parkway which EMR could in addition service via a new service to Market Harborough and hopefully Leicester in future.
2) Thameslink Extension to Wellingborough
In addition considering the downgrade I see in the new EMR service making it much more comparable to Thameslink than an Intercity service, could there be a strong case for extending Thameslink to Wellingborough in particular the Bedford to Gatwick Airport services. While Kettering and Corby don't lose out as much as they can still use the Intercity service (Corby via a change) - Wellingborough is the big loser. So a Thameslink extension to Wellingborough would in my eyes negate the need for Wellingborough regulars to drive down to Bedford to catch Thameslink (which many will do post these changes for cheaper fares considering the near parity of service quality). Moreover with let's say proposals to open a station for Rushden Parkway and even a Bedford North Parkway, a short service extension (only 14 miles, 15 mins with a few extra stops) would be very well used to Wellingborough, and not carrying fresh air as an extension to Corby would with it competing with faster EMR services.
To summarise I would like to see a new Northamptonshire Powerhouse Railway linking Northampton to Peterborough (and onto Wisbech is feasible) via Kettering. Opening of Desborough, Isham and Burton Latimer, Rushden Parkway and maybe Bedford North Parkway which could then see one of the EMR stoppers to Corby head to Market Harborough along with a Thameslink extension to Wellingborough.
Would there be merit and a sufficient case in reopening/building a line from Northampton to just south of Wellingborough station on the MML to create a route linking Northampton, Wellingborough, Kettering, Corby, Stamford and Peterborough following the line of the A43 roughly. I would call this line the "Northamptonshire Powerhouse".
For context there is already a X4 Stagecoach Gold bus linking Northampton and Peterborough together along with a well patronised and often congested route along the A43 from Kettering and A45 from Wellingborough both to Northampton, suggesting there may well be demand for a railway service. In addition there does seem a historic route from Northampton to Wellingborough which could be used as a base line or even some of the Northampton end of the former Bedford line.
As well as linking the Northamptonshire end of the MML to the WCML it does provide new links from the MML to the ECML at Peterborough via a Wing or through a new curve at South Luffenham.
A service such as Northampton - Cotton End/University - Wellingborough - Isham and Burton Latimer - Kettering - Corby - Stamford - Peterborough - March - Wisbech via reversal, I think would be achievable and well patronised for 1 train per hour and possibly 2 with smaller trains.
As part of this scheme, I would as many have suggested swing 1 of the EMR stoppers to Market Harborough but in addition reopen stations at Desborough and Rushden Parkway which EMR could in addition service via a new service to Market Harborough and hopefully Leicester in future.
2) Thameslink Extension to Wellingborough
In addition considering the downgrade I see in the new EMR service making it much more comparable to Thameslink than an Intercity service, could there be a strong case for extending Thameslink to Wellingborough in particular the Bedford to Gatwick Airport services. While Kettering and Corby don't lose out as much as they can still use the Intercity service (Corby via a change) - Wellingborough is the big loser. So a Thameslink extension to Wellingborough would in my eyes negate the need for Wellingborough regulars to drive down to Bedford to catch Thameslink (which many will do post these changes for cheaper fares considering the near parity of service quality). Moreover with let's say proposals to open a station for Rushden Parkway and even a Bedford North Parkway, a short service extension (only 14 miles, 15 mins with a few extra stops) would be very well used to Wellingborough, and not carrying fresh air as an extension to Corby would with it competing with faster EMR services.
To summarise I would like to see a new Northamptonshire Powerhouse Railway linking Northampton to Peterborough (and onto Wisbech is feasible) via Kettering. Opening of Desborough, Isham and Burton Latimer, Rushden Parkway and maybe Bedford North Parkway which could then see one of the EMR stoppers to Corby head to Market Harborough along with a Thameslink extension to Wellingborough.