Corby railway station

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[t]here is no evidence of strong design thinking and little indication to suggest the concept has been considered as an integrated whole. This can be read in the awkward junction between the station building and the canopy and poor siting of the railings and street furniture in relation to the station structure. There is also a lack of finesse to the elevations, as illustrated by the mismatch between doors and panels. Taken together, these shortcomings lend the station an ungainly and impoverished form.

An artist's impression of the station was on the website of the local MP, Phil Hope. [28] In June 2009, it was announced that the station had won the Chartered Institution of Highways and Transportation's Award for Effective Partnerships and received praise for having been built on time, within budget and to a high standard. [22]

Future

Redoubled line and electrification since 2021. The platform of the 1987 station can be seen on the right. Corby railway station, Northamptonshire (geograph 6403849).jpg
Redoubled line and electrification since 2021. The platform of the 1987 station can be seen on the right.

It was planned that a half-hourly London St Pancras International to Nottingham via Corby service would be operated by East Midlands Railway from May 2021 [29] using Class 360 electric trains, once the Midland Main Line has been electrified beyond Bedford as part of the Electric Spine project. [30] However large portions of the spine project were cancelled. [31] Network Rail did complete the re-doubling of the singled Glendon Junction to Corby section as part of the overall upgrade scheme in March 2018. [32] Electric services were duly introduced in May 2021. [33] Although the spine project has been cancelled, the Midland Main Line railway upgrade is in progress with the electrification and modernisation of the section from Kettering to Market Harborough ongoing from December 2021. [34] [35] [36] In addition, the Integrated Rail Plan for the North and Midlands published by the DfT on 18 November 2021 shows the entire line to Sheffield will now proceed. [37] Meanwhile, the planning of building 150 new flats to the south of the station was approved by Corby council in May 2018. [38] [39] [40]

East-West Rail – Northern Route

The Kettering – Manton line via Corby was also considered for reopening to passengers as part of the East West Rail between Oxford, Cambridge and Norwich.[ citation needed ] Three routes were considered, with Corby on the northern route. A new chord would have been needed at Manton for direct running between Corby and Stamford. Despite being the cheapest of the three options, the northern route has been ruled out as being too indirect.[ citation needed ]

Electrification and associated works

In July 2009, the Labour government published a document and said it was looking at electrification of the Midland Main Line but no funds had been committed. [41] When originally planned and announced, the line upgrade was costed at £1.6 billion and it was expected that the line would be electrified as far as Kettering and Corby by 2017. The 2012 announcement by the Conservative led coalition government was that electrification of the railway line between Bedford, Wellingborough, Corby, Leicester, Derby, Nottingham and Sheffield would go ahead. This was part of the High Level Output Specification for Control Period 5. [42] This was also part of a rolling programme of railway electrification projects. An extra track was to be installed between Kettering and Corby. [43] It appeared in the autumn statement of 2011. [44]

2012 Department for Transport plans for UK rail electrification by 2019 including Northern Hub (red), Electric Spine (yellow/green), Great Western Main Line and South Wales Main Line (red) and Valleys & Cardiff Local Routes (blue). For 'HLOS', see Network Rail > Control periods. UK rail electrification by 2019.pdf
2012 Department for Transport plans for UK rail electrification by 2019 including Northern Hub (red), Electric Spine (yellow/green), Great Western Main Line and South Wales Main Line (red) and Valleys & Cardiff Local Routes (blue). For 'HLOS', see Network Rail > Control periods.

A 2014 RAIL Magazine article gave a detailed account of the work ahead. The whole Midland Main Line scheme also overlapped with the Electric Spine project. [45] In June 2015, Patrick McLoughlin paused the electrification project [46] but on 30 September 2015 the scheme was restarted. [47] The completion dates were now three years later than originally planned, with electrification to Kettering and Corby now targeted for completion in 2019. [48] The line from Kettering to Corby was to be doubled, and Network Rail started work in June 2015. [49] The Enhancements plan update of January 2016 showed the project on target. [50] In January 2021 electrification of the Midland Main Line to Corby was completed. [51] The electrified line is being fed via the autotransformer system. A new grid feeder will be needed at Braybrooke, just south of Market Harborough. [52] Work was announced as starting on the grid feeder in the Market Harborough area on 8 April 2021. [53] The transformers were delivered to site in December 2021. [54]

Services

With the introduction of the EMR Connect Service in May 2021, Corby now has two electric trains per hour to London. [55] EMR operates two intercity trains each way per day from Melton Mowbray and Oakham to London St. Pancras International, one of which terminates at Kettering. [56] [57] EMR also operates an intercity train for the weekends from St. Pancras International to either Sheffield or Nottingham for one train going either destinations.

In 2023, the "Connect" services were rebranded as "Luton Airport Express", to promote that they serve Luton Airport Parkway. [58]

Corby
National Rail logo.svg
Corby railway station 23 February 2009.jpg
General information
Location Corby, North Northamptonshire
England
Coordinates 52°29′20″N0°41′17″W / 52.489°N 0.688°W / 52.489; -0.688
Grid reference SP891886
Managed by East Midlands Railway
Platforms1
Tracks2
Other information
Station codeCOR
Classification DfT category E
Key dates
1879Opened
18 April 1966 [1] Closed
13 April 1987Reopened
2 June 1990Closed
23 February 2009Reopened
Passengers
2018/19Increase2.svg 0.302 million
Preceding station National Rail logo.svg National Rail Following station
Kettering   East Midlands Railway
 Terminus
   Oakham
Limited Service
Disused railways
Line open, station closed
Midland Railway
Line open, station closed

Notes

  1. Northamptonshire Evening Telegraph records there as being 11 daily trains, while The Railway Magazine says there were 10 daily trains. [2] [5]

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