MML Electrification: progress updates

[richieb1971]

The slow tracks as they stand are really slow speed. I don't see how much wiring them up will make them faster. The bits around Souldrop have kept the tight turns. As mentioned Oakley was rumoured to have the contour of the station removed out of the alignment but it remains. I might check the up rights today to see if they exist at the station cottages.

 

[InTheEastMids]

The slow tracks as they stand are really slow speed. I don't see how much wiring them up will make them faster. The bits around Souldrop have kept the tight turns. As mentioned Oakley was rumoured to have the contour of the station removed out of the alignment but it remains. I might check the up rights today to see if they exist at the station cottages.

The plan for the slow lines is apparently for a 90mph railway as part of the 4 tracking, although I could certainly imagine it being slower around Wymington. And Wellingborough obviously.

I'd like to see an engine and tender design for freight. Diesel/electric primary, with tender having opposite secondary. Surely this is not impossible.

Shhh! Now you'll have somebody in the Porterbrook/Vivarail design office saying, "Get me a class 56, a class 86, an angle grinder and a container load of duct tape. It's time to bring back the Co-Bo"

 

[70014IronDuke]

The slow tracks as they stand are really slow speed. I don't see how much wiring them up will make them faster. The bits around Souldrop have kept the tight turns. As mentioned Oakley was rumoured to have the contour of the station removed out of the alignment but it remains. I might check the up rights today to see if they exist at the station cottages.

Surely there is nothing much wrong with the alignment (except at spots, eg Wellingborough) that would prevent the goods roads going to 125 mph, if it were needed? It's the maintenance levels of the track and signal spacing that has kept the line at 40 mph (I think it's 40 - well, that is what is used to be) so far. Before the 1958-59 upgrade for the new DMU service, I think the goods lines (rather than slow lines, as they became in 59) south of Bedford had a much slower line speed, not sure if it was just 40 mph or maybe 50 mph.

 

[AM9]

Totally agree that the reinstatement is great news for the future of the MML as a freight route. My comments were more concerned with the electrification of the slow line tracks.
I completely agree that for flexibility it is best for all 4 tracks to be wired. However with the cancellation of electrification of the line further north I just wonder if that money would have been better spent electrifying further north at least to Leicester or even Nottingham. I really don’t know all the facts it was just a few thoughts after seeing how much money is being spent on the slow lines south of Kettering.

OK, slight misunderstanding on my part but I think we are in agreement about the future usefulness of the line. I have noticed that the general policy of improving the structure gauge of the line facilitates making a fully electrified 4-track line easier beyond the current official (reduced) electrified much easier. I gather from some posters on other threads that the infrastructure costs of electrification frequently overshadow the wiring costs, (without getting into a discussion on any derogation of TSI requirements for minimum electrical clearance). This is for both for the surrounding infrastructure of clearance, reinforcement for attachment of steelwork, ground preparation, immunity of other systems, etc., but also includes national grid connections, substations and feed points, most of which doesn't double in cost when wiring four tracks instead of just two.
Similarly, traffic on the southern MML north of Bedford is likely to increase, firstly with the sparks effect on Kettering and Corby, but also, with the inevitable wiring to Market Harborough and Leicester, I imagine the unleashing of a greater demand for travel which may bring the saturation of the MML south of Bedford sooner than might have been assumed so far. Given the limited scope for increasing capacity there, the picture could soon be very different unless the EW line comes into play.
Just idle speculation.

 

[richieb1971]

It's 60 i think. Definitely higher than 40. Oakley slow up has 20mph restrictions due to land sliding concerns which slows traffic there. Then you get a red before Bedford. Hardly anything enters Bedford from the up slow at speed.

 

[70014IronDuke]

Totally agree that the reinstatement is great news for the future of the MML as a freight route. My comments were more concerned with the electrification of the slow line tracks.
I completely agree that for flexibility it is best for all 4 tracks to be wired. However with the cancellation of electrification of the line further north I just wonder if that money would have been better spent electrifying further north at least to Leicester or even Nottingham. I really don’t know all the facts it was just a few thoughts after seeing how much money is being spent on the slow lines south of Kettering.

I think you make a good point, one that perhaps is surprising for not being raised earlier.



The obvious answer for the decision to four track and electrify to Glendon is that it may actually be needed to operate the 6 tph service, with at least one of the Corbies using the slow lines north of Bedford, ie a fast will overtake a Corby between Bedford and Kettering. Doubtful, though.

The next obvious answer is that so much work had already been done preparing for electrification on the Bedford - Kettering section versus the section north of Glendon (or whatever the 'new' junction is called north of Kettering) that it was more cost effective to keep going with that than cancel and electrify Kettering - Leicester. Again, thinking about it, that would seem doubtful.

But perhaps it was a very knife-edge decision. And perhaps a key member of the team deciding was thinking long term, judging that ultimately, at least some of the de-scoping would be reversed viz, Glendon to Market Harboro would be wired (to access the Braybrooke feeder station) and then there would be huge pressure to do the extra 16-17 miles to Leicester.

In other words, he or she thought: let's do the job properly up to Kettering and Corby and achieve the maximum capacity and operating flexibilty - and the rest (at least to Leicester) has a good chace of following on anyway. Whereas, if we don't wire Bedford - Kettering on the slows now, it may take forever to get that through: we'll just be made to compromise on operating the line for the next 40-50 years.

EDIT - and one more point (though I have no idea if this is mentioned in the plans or not) - with electrification to Corby and new home building, surely there will come pressure at some point for new stations between Bedford and Wellingboro' - primarily to serve Rushden/Higham Ferres and another in the environs of Oakley-Sharnbrook.

Could be one reason they are keeping the kinks in the slows at Oakley?

 

[70014IronDuke]

It's 60 i think. Definitely higher than 40.

OK. That's an improvement versus the 70s then. I've only been over the line once since all the changes in the 80s.

... Then you get a red before Bedford. Hardly anything enters Bedford from the up slow at speed.

But that is primarily a capacity issue, isn't it? Not that I can imagine you could ever enter Bedford at 125 mph on the slows.

 

[edwin_m]

It is likely that the 6TPH timetable will feature overtaking between Wellingborough and Kettering as the timetable up to May did (I haven't looked at the current one to compare). This is because the trains for Leicester are likely to leave St Pancras at 15min intervals to fit the 4TPH Thameslink "grid", and the Corby paths will probably follow immediately behind one of these so about 12min ahead of the next fast train. The Corbies will take about 12min longer so reach Kettering about the same time as the fast. Therefore I'd expect the Corby trains to make use of the slows north of Wellingborough and probably north of Bedford, especially considering the time penalty of crossing fast to slow to access a platform there southbound. With Corby workings every 30min there is enough capacity to fit a freight between each one. If routed via Market Harborough this would cross over to the Mains at Kettering just behind the non-stop passenger train and therefore have the maximum time before the next passenger train (probably a semi-fast) catches up. And similarly southbound.

 

[LeeLivery]

I think you make a good point, one that perhaps is surprising for not being raised earlier.



The obvious answer for the decision to four track and electrify to Glendon is that it may actually be needed to operate the 6 tph service, with at least one of the Corbies using the slow lines north of Bedford, ie a fast will overtake a Corby between Bedford and Kettering. Doubtful, though.

The next obvious answer is that so much work had already been done preparing for electrification on the Bedford - Kettering section versus the section north of Glendon (or whatever the 'new' junction is called north of Kettering) that it was more cost effective to keep going with that than cancel and electrify Kettering - Leicester. Again, thinking about it, that would seem doubtful.

But perhaps it was a very knife-edge decision. And perhaps a key member of the team deciding was thinking long term, judging that ultimately, at least some of the de-scoping would be reversed viz, Glendon to Market Harboro would be wired (to access the Braybrooke feeder station) and then there would be huge pressure to do the extra 16-17 miles to Leicester.

In other words, he or she thought: let's do the job properly up to Kettering and Corby and achieve the maximum capacity and operating flexibilty - and the rest (at least to Leicester) has a good chace of following on anyway. Whereas, if we don't wire Bedford - Kettering on the slows now, it may take forever to get that through: we'll just be made to compromise on operating the line for the next 40-50 years.

EDIT - and one more point (though I have no idea if this is mentioned in the plans or not) - with electrification to Corby and new home building, surely there will come pressure at some point for new stations between Bedford and Wellingboro' - primarily to serve Rushden/Higham Ferres and another in the environs of Oakley-Sharnbrook.

Could be one reason they are keeping the kinks in the slows at Oakley?

The pressure will amount to something I hope eventually. Not electrifying to Leicester doesn't make much sense if Baybrooke is the aim.

As for new stations, Oakley & Clapham "Parkway", Rushden & Irchester, Burton Latimer and Desborough all have good potential for a half-hourly/hourly service to London. I know it's not ideal, but splitting and joining the future Corby services at Kettering would work pretty well. Unfortunately, local MPs like Peter Bone have other "priorities" while Northants CC is bankrupt.

Edit: Then again, if the Tories want to keep Northants, maybe they should be throwing money at it.

 

[70014IronDuke]

It is likely that the 6TPH timetable will feature overtaking between Wellingborough and Kettering as the timetable up to May did (I haven't looked at the current one to compare). This is because the trains for Leicester are likely to leave St Pancras at 15min intervals to fit the 4TPH Thameslink "grid", and the Corby paths will probably follow immediately behind one of these so about 12min ahead of the next fast train. ...

If that's the plan (and it does make sense), then pathing the Corbies north of Bedford onto the slows makes perfect sense - and is the answer to the query on electification of the slows.

 

[70014IronDuke]

... As for new stations, Oakley & Clapham "Parkway", Rushden & Irchester, Burton Latimer and Desborough all have good potential for a half-hourly/hourly service to London. I know it's not ideal, but splitting and joining the future Corby services at Kettering would work pretty well. ... .

If you put in Oakley-Clapham and Rushden, it might make sense to split the Corbies at Bedford, and have the slower stopping portion run to Wellingborough.
Burton Latimer has potential? Hmmm, long time since I was that way. I don't know.

As for Desborough (and Kibworth for that matter) - I think with 4TPH to Leicester on two tracks - nobody will want to bother stopping the fasts and nobody will want the bother of pathing in some sort of stopper.

 

[LeeLivery]

If you put in Oakley-Clapham and Rushden, it might make sense to split the Corbies at Bedford, and have the slower stopping portion run to Wellingborough.
Burton Latimer has potential? Hmmm, long time since I was that way. I don't know.

As for Desborough (and Kibworth for that matter) - I think with 4TPH to Leicester on two tracks - nobody will want to bother stopping the fasts and nobody will want the bother of pathing in some sort of stopper.

I did mean the latter. Split at Kettering and have a (half) hourly to Leicester with stops at Desborough, MH and possibly Kibworth. If it isn't achievable even with electrification and 4 tracks then I'd be surprised but so it be. I admit Burton is pushing it but Burton/South Kettering has had its fair bit of growth, put a big car park in right next to the A14, you never know.

 

[59CosG95]

WNXX reporting on masts at Isham: http://www.wnxx.com/18/1808/040818/66613.htm

 

[59CosG95]

Travelling up the MML this morning; will keep watch for masts/piles on the Up side as far north as Glendon.

 

[70014IronDuke]

Travelling up the MML this morning; will keep watch for masts/piles on the Up side as far north as Glendon.

So, we are waiting ... with baited breath ....

Or did you realise you were, in fact, travelling 'down' the MML and have a sort of "Duke of York" moment as a result?

 

[59CosG95]

So, we are waiting ... with baited breath ....

Or did you realise you were, in fact, travelling 'down' the MML and have a sort of "Duke of York" moment as a result?

No, I was indeed travelling 'down' the MML, it's just that my seat was south-facing. The delay's been due to the fact that I've barely had a moment spare to collate my notes (as I'm staying at my partner's house in Coalville), but here they are!

Notes on the Up side (inc. Up fast, Down Slow & Up Slow):
Around 5 piles are in south of Bedford.
From Bedford to Oakley:
11 piles, then 2 boomed TTCs, a lone pile, 12 boomed TTCs with drop tubes fitted, 2 piles, then 18 more boomed & droppered TTCs.
From Oakley to Sharnbrook:
5 droppered TTCs, 8 piles, and another 4 droppered TTCs before the twin-track portal at the southern end of Radwell Viaduct.
Then 5 more droppered TTCs, 3 lone TTC masts, 7 boomed TTCs, 2 lone masts, 12 boomed TTCs, a lone mast, 5 boomed TTCs and then 11 piles up to Sharnbrook Jct.
From Sharnbrook to Irchester via the Fasts:
Up to the current end of the masts at Souldrop Bank, there are (in the Slows) 1 pile, a boomed TTC, a TTP, 3 boomed TTCs, a lone mast, 8 boomed TTCs, 2 lone masts, 4 boomed TTCs, a lone mast, a lone pile, 2 boomed TTCs and 2 bare masts.

Then, on the Up side of the fasts through Wymington: 22 piles, 7 single masts, and 57 piles before the Slows reconvene at Irchester.

From Irchester to Harrowden Jct:
3 bedanglied TTCs, 1 boomed TTC and 3 piles are in on the Slows around Irchester, then a large gap over both lines is present over Irthlingboro' Viadcut & thru Wellingborough station, with 1 pile around the Finedon Rd area. (Most masts here are up on the Down side).

From Harrowden Jct to Isham:
23 boomed TTCs, 1 pile and then 6 boomed TTCs were visible on the Up side.

From Isham to Kettering:
1 boomed TTC followed by 7 piles are up; a gap is present near the lorry park by the A14. After there, 7 piles are in until Kettering South Jct. 1 pile *might* be in between there and the station.

From Kettering to Glendon:
Nothing up until Kettering North Jct; from there, 11 piles, a lone mast, a boomed TTC, 2 boomless TTC masts, a pile, a mast, 7 boomed TTCs, 2 bedanglied TTCs, 1 boomed TTC, 3 bedanglied TTCs and 1 lone mast.

Results should be taken with a pinch of salt as it is quite hard to do all this on a moving train!

 

[WymoWanderer]

Results should be taken with a pinch of salt as it is quite hard to do all this on a moving train!

Thanks for the update - very detailed and impressive for being on a traveling train!

 

[GRALISTAIR]

Thanks for the update - very detailed and impressive for being on a traveling train!

I totally agree.

 

[59CosG95]

I totally agree.

Not at all, gents! Unfortunately, I'm not returning south via Bedford tomorrow; I'm in fact heading west to Birmingham from Coleshill Parkway, so I can't provide an update on the Down side from an Up train (though I wish I could!)
An update to the GSoP will be in the offing tomorrow though.

 

[WymoWanderer]

Back from a trip and went and had a look at what's been going on around the village (Wymington) whilst I've been away. Apologies for some of the picture quality - digital zoom is never the greatest. Hopefully I'll get back out with a slightly better camera this week.

Carillion signs have gone and been replaced by Amey and Siemens.

Along the slow lines a number of boomed and unboomed TTCs have been installed. Also I've seen at least two completed portals and a number of incomplete structures.

On the fasts I could not see any masts installed but you can see piles have been installed.

 

[edwin_m]

Along the slow lines a number of boomed and unboomed TTCs have been installed. Also I've seen at least two completed portals and a number of incomplete structures.

I would suggest those are actually single track cantilevers. Looking at the TTCs in #2041 the verticals are thicker and there is no evidence of a bolted joint between the vertical and horizontal parts so I would guess they are a single structure. Normal practice on double track would be to use STCs each side, unless there is a good reason for TTCs (such as signal sighting or ground conditions).

 

[WymoWanderer]

I would suggest those are actually single track cantilevers. Looking at the TTCs in #2041 the verticals are thicker and there is no evidence of a bolted joint between the vertical and horizontal parts so I would guess they are a single structure. Normal practice on double track would be to use STCs each side, unless there is a good reason for TTCs (such as signal sighting or ground conditions).

Agreed.
However, If you look at pictures 3 and 5 of the slow line you can see the TTCs in the distance.

 

[59CosG95]

Agreed.
However, If you look at pictures 3 and 5 of the slow line you can see the TTCs in the distance.

From my observations on the project, TTCs have tended to be made out of triangular "box-girder" style members, the portal uprights are a pair of rolled H-sections/I-sections with smaller spliced bits of the same section between the two (at right angles for bracing), the portal booms are a single rolled H/I section, and the single track cantilevers are also single rolled H/I sections.
(Sorry for the steel jargon there, my inner Structural Engineer got the better of me!)
Glad to see tangible progress on the Slows though.

 

[59CosG95]

MML Wiring Progressometer 10.0 (as of 13th of August 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.
• Nothing up yet around Pavenham.
• At Oakley, on the site of the old station (just south of Station Rd Bridge), all visible piles over both lines now carry TC booms. Plenty of TTC uprights (all boomed) are up to the south of Oakley station; their extent is not yet known. 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
• 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.
• Finedon Station Road now has at least 6 TTC masts (with booms up; 4 over the Fasts, 2 over the Slows) up to the south. Circa 10 TTCs are up over the Slow lines to the north of Finedon Station Rd.
• Furnace Lane bridge (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.

 

[Domh245]

Interesting to see that Siemens and Amey have taken over - I had been under the impression that it'd carry on under the powerlines half of the JV. I wonder if SICAT will make an appearance as well, and how this ties in to earlier reports of private investment getting involved.

 

[corsaVXR]

Are there any plans for the A45 bridge? last time I drove past Westbound, it was still in it's redecorated condition.

 

[richieb1971]

Earwig Lane above at Pavenham. Utilizing a bridge with a wall no higher than your waist that has been hit numerous times with caterpillars and farm equipment. Not sure when this bridge is being de-commissioned, will be a tough thing for the 2 farmers as their land is locked by more private land, rivers and the railway. Bridge is the only access without trespassing. There is a make shift presence of storage facilities here at this site. A company beginning with "A". I can't remember the name of it.

Looking north at Pavenham (Earwig Lane bridge) we can see a lot has been done on both sides. There is a huge gap between here and Oakley (1/2 mile) before they start again.

Looking north on the fasts from Souldrop. No evidence of uprights yet.
Looking north towards Sharnbrook tunnel, the extra track is being laid. However, its on the opposite side of the active track looking south.

Here we look south at Souldrop. A Cantilever is viewable just before the road bridge on the slow line. If you moved that to the fast line, it proves my suspicions all along that it just won't fit under that bridge. I'm going to assume whoever did the designs for that new bridge balls'd it up.

I noticed on the A6 that a lot of the uprights now have a vertical bar hanging over the track. I don't recall seeing them last time.

It took me a while to work out how the slows will work in their current form.

The active line in pic 4 will join to the new track in pic 5.
The active line in pic 5 will join to the new track in pic 4.

I doubt this section of track will see 90mph running. Those turns look 75mph at best.

 

[richieb1971]

I edited pics to better ones, just in case anyone cares.

 

[londonmidland]

Not the best picture but seen just north of Bedford.

Also, pilings between the (down slow?) and the electric shunt at the north of the station. I’m not sure how long they have been there as I normally speed through Bedford non-stop.

 

[cle]

Will it be 4 tracked all the way from Bedford to Kettering? And one TPH is the only increase in service (other than freight?) - seems a shame to increase so lightly, although I know it’s due to capacity south of Bedford.

Might it an idea be to have one of the Corby services as a shuttle to Bedford, and connect into a new faster train which calls there, and Thameslink and Marston/future EWR.

And that faster train could come from elsewhere north, such as Manchester.

Or a Corby shuttle interworking/continuing onto Bletchley?