Harborough MP slams Government decision to shelve further electrification of Midland Main Line

The move will affect those wanting to travel north of Market Harborough, since the electrification will stop at neighbouring Wigston.

The news was mentioned during a Government announcement where more than 50 rail and road upgrades were listed.

Work to electrify the line has recently been completed from London to Wigston, but plans were in place to electrify the whole route all the way up to Nottingham and Sheffield.

The decision to pause comes amid cost and time concerns.

Mr O’Brien has long campaigned for the whole line to be electrified.

He said: “This is such a shortsighted decision by the Labour Government. A significant amount of work has already gone into electrify the whole line between Wigston and Nottingham and Sheffield. Now they have decided to shelve the plans, which will be disappointing for passengers travelling north from Market Harborough and Leicester.

“What is even worse, is that the Government hid this decision in an announcement where over 50 rail and road upgrades were announced elsewhere in the country. This will be a bitter pill to swallow for users of the line who have been given repeated promises over several years that the line will be fully electrified. Other projects have been put forward by the Government at the expense of our electrification programme.”

A Government statement said because of the cost and time involved, it was focusing investment on other schemes.

The potential for full electrification would remain under review as part of plans to decarbonise railways and ‘as funding becomes available in future’.