We’re working on the biggest programme of improvements to the line since its completion in 1870.
We are electrifying the line in sections over the next few years to allow electric trains to run along the full length of the line. This is because Network Rail and the UK Government want railways to be better for the environment and to be more cost effective for taxpayers. By electrifying the line we will be supporting the Government’s net zero carbon targets for 2050.
In 2021 we upgraded and electrified the route from London to Corby and we hope to build on this success in the next phase. The Kettering to Wigston section was electrified in 2024 ready for bi-mode trains to run in Summer 2025.
Find out more on the latest phases of work and how these might affect lineside neighbours by reading our Frequently Asked Questions. We’ll also be holding events in areas that may be impacted by work to electrify the line and writing directly to those who may be affected by the work.
Frequently asked questions
Electrification is the process of improving the infrastructure of the railway to allow for electric trains to run on the track, rather than trains that use fuel. It’s a process that takes time and a lot of planning, and as part of the Midland Main Line Upgrade, the railway between Kettering to Nottingham, Derby and Sheffield, is due to be electrified.
Electric trains are better for the environment than diesel trains, and they’re quieter for both those on board the train and those living close to the railway. We’re making it possible for electric trains to travel on more areas of the rail network by electrifying railway lines that only diesel trains can run on at the moment.
In order to electrify the railway, we need to install overhead line equipment (OLE) to run the wires that will carry the electricity that powers the electric trains, and before we do that, we need to install OLE foundations. This is done through a process called piling.
Piling involves driving the piles deep into the ground. This is usually done at night-time on weekdays and weekends. We’re aware of the inconvenience that piling can cause our lineside neighbours and do everything we can to minimise disruption.
Once this is complete and the foundations are installed, we begin to erect trackside posts and overhead wires.
Depending on ground conditions, an average pile takes between 20 and 60 minutes and is often complete on a single occasion. Once complete, work will then progress to another location.
You can find out lots more about the electrification of the railway, and how the matters of safety and OLE maintenance are managed, on our website.
Our teams will be working through days and nights in order to deliver this complex upgrade, and so work can often be noisy. Anyone working on site is briefed to keep noise and disruption to a minimum, and to be mindful of local residents.
We try to be considerate by giving you as much notice as possible about our engineering works, and host information events where possible, but if we fall short, please let us know. We’ll always listen to concerns and will fully investigate complaints or reports.
Safety is our number one priority – we place new equipment in a suitable location where access can be gained in the event of a failure. How the structures holding the overhead wires are spaced depends on design factors including the alignment of the track and how fast trains can travel on that line. Their positioning is critical to the safety and operation of the railway.
We aim to keep local residents informed of our work by writing to those living close to the railway and, where relevant, we hold public information sessions to discuss the works with local communities.
OLE piling is the process of vibrating and/or hammering steel piles deep into the ground which requires the use of specialist machinery. This is part of preparatory work to support future steel masts and energised electric wires that will eventually be installed to power the trains.
To undertake this work, we will be using a Movax attachment mounted to an excavator – this will be used to vibrate cylindrical steel piles deep into the ground. If the piles refuse, a hydraulic hammer will be mounted to the excavator to hammer the cylindrical steel piles into the ground.
Work is taking place is stages along the route over a period of several years. We will be sending letters to all properties within a 500m radius of the track where piling is due to take place and we aim to provide at least two-weeks’ notice before the activity is due to commence. The letters will also detail community engagement events that we will host that you may attend to find out more or ask us any questions you may have.
The IRP set out the largest ever Government programme of investment in the railway – a £96 billion package to overhaul and modernise rail connections across the North and Midlands.
This included the electrification of the Midland Main Line from the East Midlands to Chesterfield and Sheffield and the full electrification of the Transpennine Route.
This is all part of the government’s plan to deliver better journeys for passengers sooner.
We’re currently undertaking the renewal and upgrade of the older electrification system south of Bedford. We’re working closely with the Department for Transport and our suppliers on the programme to extend electrification work north of Wigston.
At this stage, we’re unable to share any further details or specific plans regarding the timeline for Midland Main Line electrification north of Wigston.
Transport and Works Act Order – Kettering to Wigston South Junction and Napsbury Lane
The Network Rail (Kettering to Wigston South Junction and Napsbury Lane) (Land Acquisition) Order (the “Order”) would confer powers of compulsory acquisition and temporary use of land on Network Rail for the purposes of works forming part of the wider Midland Main Line Electrification Project, which has already successfully electrified the route from London to Corby.
The phase of the programme to which the Order relates is to electrify and decarbonise the section of the line north of Kettering to Wigston South Junction. The Order would also provide for Network Rail to acquire rights of access to the electrified railway over a private road at Napsbury Lane, St Albans.
Network Rail submitted its Transport and Works Act Order (TWAO) application for this Order to the Secretary of State for Transport on 12 November 2024. To view the TWAO application and all the plans and documents submitted with them please refer to our application documents below.
Any person who wishes to obtain a copy of the application or of any document that accompanied it may do so by applying to Network Rail by email to midlandmainline@networkrail.co.uk or by calling 03457 11 41 41.
Contact us
If you have any feedback about our work, please call our 24 hour helpline on 03457 11 41 41 or visit our contact page.
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