Market Harborough Station Upgrade

[edwin_m]

Are bikes at the front of the station less prone to being stolen than in the car park? Would the vehicle access to the car park be safe for cyclists?

The re-opening of the subway, whenever that happens, shortens the route from the front of the station to the London platform. It's not step-free but most cyclists should be able to climb a flight of stairs.

 

[Flying Phil]

The platform looks so nearly finished!

 

[Flying Phil]

No dramatic changes yesterday, the platform is not yet open and preparation work is continuing on the car park. There are still lots of drainage channels to be laid. There are now railings on the ramp at the North end of platfom 2 (Southbound).
Incidentally the timekeeping on my 9.11 am train to Loughborough was spot on to the second! Most impressive, particularly as it followed the previous day's massive disruption elsewhere.

 

[Flying Phil]

A lot more car park work on-going with several big yellow machines and lots of scurrying yellow suited workers.
The platform is still not open..... awaiting the PIS display panel?

 

[swt_passenger]

Just looking back to the first photo in post #507, it looks as though they haven’t laid out that section in accordance with the planning drawings. The stretch between the south end of the platform and the footbridge is shown on the planning drawings as being parking bays for blue badge holders, with a bike storage unit as well, right up against the rear of the platform. The tarmac path (that presumably continues the one from the far end of the down platform) appears to be a change.

 

[HowardGWR]

View attachment 67258 A lot more car park work on-going with several big yellow machines and lots of scurrying yellow suited workers.
The platform is still not open..... awaiting the PIS display panel?

Phil, those yellow suits look orange to me. Thanks for the great photos.

 

[Flying Phil]

Phil, those yellow suits look orange to me. Thanks for the great photos.

You are quite correct Howard .....there are three possible reasons:-
1 A "senior moment"
2 A chromatic aberration.
3 I was running a check to see who was paying attention.

 

[Flying Phil]

The platform now has the information screen but there is still a temporary barrier across the opening in the back fence between the lift and first passenger shelter. I assume there is to be a gate across there for some reason, however that seems to be the only reason for the platform not to be in use.
There is some work being done in the subway entrance and that is still closed off. The small car park area by the lift is nearly levelled and is awaiting tarmac, the large car park needs the level building up, most of the drainage and service channels have been done and covered.

 

[Flying Phil]

There are now gates in the back fence on the platform. The PIS screen is not yet "live" and the platform is still not in use....There is no tarmac yet on the new car park areas and there are more piles of earth and hardcore being moved around.
It was nice to see that the EMT logo has already been replaced by the EMR branding on the class 22 that was going North.

 

[Flying Phil]

I am surprised that the car park area is having so much time and money spent on it. The foundations must be about 60cm deep on average , then there will be another 10 cm of tarmac. It has a comprehensive drainage system, full lighting and edged walkways. As half of the previous car park was just on compacted rubble where the old sidings had been, we are not used to such luxury!

 

[Flying Phil]

The footpath from the car park has now been re routed round the edge, so the new part can be completed "all in one". The new platform is still blocked out of use.......

 

[Flying Phil]

The car park is now ready to be tarmaced and the end of the platform is still out of use...The PIS display is not yet "live".

 

[InTheEastMids]

According to the MML Upgrade website, trains from the North will be turned back at Market Harborough on Saturday 12th October due to engineering work further South.

Well this be the first time the new crossing at Harborough will be used for this purpose?

 

[sharpley]

According to the MML Upgrade website, trains from the North will be turned back at Market Harborough on Saturday 12th October due to engineering work further South.

Well this be the first time the new crossing at Harborough will be used for this purpose?

If the southbound platform is still half open in October, I guess they will crossover and terminate on the northbound platform.

 

[Flying Phil]

Southbound platform still not open and some thick electrical cables were being fed through the buried duct pipes. The car park has had another layer of hardcore laid.

 

[Flying Phil]

Still more hardcore has been laid in the car park.....but they are expecting tarmac next week! The platform is still not fully open, there is some problem with getting the subway shelter roof finished, a NR responsibility - reputedly.

 

[Flying Phil]

The first of three layers of tarmac is going down today, they hope to complete next month. The platform is still not fully open.

 

[Flying Phil]

First layer of tarmac completed and half of the second layer laid. When the tarmac is finished, there are the lights to erect, white lines, edging work and various railings to install. I assume the ticket machines will stay where they are and be in the middle of the car park.

 

[Flying Phil]

Tarmac laying now finished in the car park and all the lighting stanchions are up, but no lamp units fitted. They hope to be finished at the end of the month.
There is no progress with the subway entrance and so the Southbound platform is still only half open....

 

[swt_passenger]

There is no progress with the subway entrance and so the Southbound platform is still only half open....

I had a sneaking suspicion about this a while back - modifying the subway must have seemed straightforward at the design stage, just another couple of concrete steps and a tweak to the roof in principle; so I wonder what’s proved so difficult in the reality?

 

[Flying Phil]

An interesting weekend at Market Harborough "Junction", as all Southbound trains terminate here! There is a line closure between Harborough and Bedford for the electrification work with Bus Replacement services.
Anyway, our new crossovers to the North of the platforms are in use, to put Southbound trains across and into platform 1 and, if services overlap, then the Platform 2(Southbound) is also used and the train departs to cross over and go onto the Northbound line.

 

[edwin_m]

An interesting weekend at Market Harborough "Junction", as all Southbound trains terminate here! There is a line closure between Harborough and Bedford for the electrification work with Bus Replacement services.
Anyway, our new crossovers to the North of the platforms are in use, to put Southbound trains across and into platform 1 and, if services overlap, then the Platform 2(Southbound) is also used and the train departs to cross over and go onto the Northbound line.

Have any full-length trains used the shorter platform? If so how did they cope with getting everyone out and then positioning the train clear of the crossovers for its return journey?

 

[59CosG95]

An interesting weekend at Market Harborough "Junction", as all Southbound trains terminate here! There is a line closure between Harborough and Bedford for the electrification work with Bus Replacement services.
Anyway, our new crossovers to the North of the platforms are in use, to put Southbound trains across and into platform 1 and, if services overlap, then the Platform 2(Southbound) is also used and the train departs to cross over and go onto the Northbound line.

Not just electrification; I paid a visit to that stretch of line today, and lots of it was with resignalling - pouring new foundations for new gantries at the south end of Kettering, erecting a new gantry in Wellingborough etc.

 

[Flying Phil]

Have any full-length trains used the shorter platform? If so how did they cope with getting everyone out and then positioning the train clear of the crossovers for its return journey?

I'm afraid that I do not know, I suppose they would try to cross over from the Southbound to use the full length of the Northbound platform? It is rare that both platforms would need to be in use at the same time.

 

[Hairy Bear]

Station has a set in each platform for alot of each hour. They were timetabled for the 7 cars to use plat 1 down line only. Provision was made for any 7 car using platform 2 to use the front 5 to disembark passengers. Lock doors, draw up , change ends, reopen front 5 for the journey back north. No Hst's were in use.

 

[Flying Phil]

Southbound platform still only half open and no sign of any work on the subway entrance....The car park is all lined and hatched....but no lamps in the posts.

 

[edwin_m]

Southbound platform still only half open and no sign of any work on the subway entrance....The car park is all lined and hatched....but no lamps in the posts.

Last Tuesday the closed section of platform had lights and one of the two indicators working.

 

[Flying Phil]

There are only two lamp posts missing their lights now, the rest appears to be complete?

 

[Flying Phil]

The strange situation re the subway is still un-resolved. I'm sure there must be a good reason for the delay....but it seems a straight forward job from the outside?
I have just noticed that old (Midland?) lamp post behind, I hope it stays!

 

[John Webb]

The strange situation re the subway is still un-resolved. I'm sure there must be a good reason for the delay....but it seems a straight forward job from the outside?View attachment 69736
I have just noticed that old (Midland?) lamp post behind, I hope it stays!

I suspect the (Midland?) lamp post is probably BR - I'm not aware the MR ever made tall posts unless they used telegraph posts, perhaps?
If they do want to get rid of the lamp we could use it with pleasure at St Albans South to light part of our garden!