Work starts on Midland Main Line electrification

Work has started on the line between Market Harborough and Wigston, Leicestershire

Work has started on the next phase of electrification of the Midlands Main Line, Network Rail has said.

The 12-mile (19km) section of track between Market Harborough and Wigston, Leicestershire is being upgraded.

The government said the project would allow for potential electrification of the route to Sheffield and Nottingham.

The route between London and Corby was upgraded and electrified in 2021. The plans were previously paused by the government in 2015.

The government said the multi-million pound project would support its ambition to deliver a greener, more reliable railway.

As part of the Midland Main Line electrification, Network Rail said it planned to drive steel columns into the ground, as deep as seven metres (23ft) to lay foundations for the overhead line equipment needed to power electric and bi-mode trains.

The organisation said most of the work would be done overnight, while no trains were running, to keep railway workers safe and disruption to a minimum.

It said the piling would run until August 2023 and electric wires would be installed throughout 2023.