Market Harborough railway station
Encyclopedia
Market Harborough railway station serves the town of Market Harborough
in Leicestershire
, England
. It lies on the Midland Main Line
, 16 miles (26 km) south-east of Leicester
and is served by the fast and semi-fast East Midlands Trains
Class 222 "Meridian"
/HST
services. The station is situated to the east of Market Harborough town centre.
Being relatively close to London, the frequency of trains to the capital in the morning and evening peak is excellent for commuting
, with a train running (occasionally non stop) every twenty minutes with the quickest journeys taking fifty-five minutes.
As of late 2009 Market Harborough is a Penalty fare
station, a valid ticket or Permit to travel
must be shown when requested.
The original station was built by the London and North Western Railway (LNWR)
in 1850 on its line between Stamford
to Rugby
and thence to Euston
. The Midland Railway
shared it from 1857 when it built its extension from Leicester to Bedford and Hitchin
.
As traffic built up, the Midland built a new line at a higher elevation, crossing the LNWR and then running parallel to a new joint station in the present position. The Midland line was quadrupled in 1879 and the new station opened in 1885.
The station was the scene of a serious accident in 1862. An excursion train bound for Burton-upon-Trent stopped to pick up water, and a second train bound for Leicester collided with the rear of it.
The service on the original LNWR line was drastically reduced in 1960 and finally closed in 1966. The Midland line continues, with the platform buildings and canopies replaced with modern designs in the sixties. The main building survived, however, and was carefully restored in 1981.
is uneven, with two trains leaving in 15 minutes and then the next train in 45 minutes this continues every hour off peak. Trains to London are around every half hour and all off peak trains now start or end at Nottingham
. One of these are fast going non-stop to or from London. While the other is a semi-fast service via , , and . Services north to Nottingham call at and either and or . In the morning and evening some services are extended to Lincoln
via Newark
. All services are operated by East Midlands Trains
.
The weekend sees trains operating to York
and, in the summer, Scarborough. EMT hope that in the future when Network Rail have completed track upgrades that they will be able to run to Skegness
at the weekends.
Faster East Midlands Trains services to/from Sheffield
run through at high speed, but do not stop. Interchange with Faster services can be made at Leicester
.
Bus services depart from outside the station and operate throughout the town and also to both Lutterworth
, Hinckley
and Leicester.
engineers set about straightening the line, as part of their overall plan to increase overall line speeds, it is planned that both platforms will be extended by up to 106 metres by no later than 2012.
The initial specification for the new East Midlands Trains franchise would have seen a big reduction in the number of trains calling at Market Harborough. These plans were fought against by the Harborough Rail Users' Group, and, as a result, the final specification will see no reduction in services.
Stagecoach
have promised as part of their bid that they will create additional car parking spaces at stations along their route, Market Harborough's new larger car park opened early in 2008.
Market Harborough
Market Harborough is a market town within the Harborough district of Leicestershire, England.It has a population of 20,785 and is the administrative headquarters of Harborough District Council. It sits on the Northamptonshire-Leicestershire border...
in Leicestershire
Leicestershire
Leicestershire is a landlocked county in the English Midlands. It takes its name from the heavily populated City of Leicester, traditionally its administrative centre, although the City of Leicester unitary authority is today administered separately from the rest of Leicestershire...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. It lies on the Midland Main Line
Midland Main Line
The Midland Main Line is a major railway route in the United Kingdom, part of the British railway system.The present-day line links London St...
, 16 miles (26 km) south-east of Leicester
Leicester railway station
Leicester railway station serves the City of Leicester in Leicestershire, England.As of late 2009 Leicester is a Penalty fare station, a valid ticket or Permit to travel must be shown when requested.-Background:...
and is served by the fast and semi-fast East Midlands Trains
East Midlands Trains
East Midlands Trains is a British passenger train operating company. Based in Derby, it provides train services in the East Midlands, chiefly in the counties of Lincolnshire, South Yorkshire, Nottinghamshire, Leicestershire, Derbyshire and Northamptonshire, and between the East Midlands and London...
Class 222 "Meridian"
British Rail Class 222
The British Rail Class 222 is a diesel-electric multiple unit high-speed train capable of . Twenty-seven units have been built by Bombardier Transportation....
/HST
British Rail Class 43 (HST)
The British Rail Class 43 is the TOPS classification used for the InterCity 125 High Speed Train power cars, built by BREL from 1975 to 1982....
services. The station is situated to the east of Market Harborough town centre.
Being relatively close to London, the frequency of trains to the capital in the morning and evening peak is excellent for commuting
Commuting
Commuting is regular travel between one's place of residence and place of work or full time study. It sometimes refers to any regular or often repeated traveling between locations when not work related.- History :...
, with a train running (occasionally non stop) every twenty minutes with the quickest journeys taking fifty-five minutes.
As of late 2009 Market Harborough is a Penalty fare
Penalty fare
On the United Kingdom's public transport systems, a penalty fare is a special fare charged at a higher than normal price because the purchaser did not comply with the normal ticket purchasing rules...
station, a valid ticket or Permit to travel
Permit to travel
In the ticketing system of the British rail network, a Permit to Travel provisionally allows passengers to travel on a train when they have not purchased a ticket in advance and the ticket office of the station they are travelling from is closed, without incurring a penalty fare.Since a large...
must be shown when requested.
History
Market Harborough was the largest station within the county boundary south of Leicester. Such was the volume of traffic, a junction for five different directions at its height, by 1870 plans for an engine shed were released in addition to the already provided loco pit, turntable and water tank. A shed was never built but this did not stop it becoming a sub-shed of Leicester in later years.The original station was built by the London and North Western Railway (LNWR)
London and North Western Railway
The London and North Western Railway was a British railway company between 1846 and 1922. It was created by the merger of three companies – the Grand Junction Railway, the London and Birmingham Railway and the Manchester and Birmingham Railway...
in 1850 on its line between Stamford
Stamford railway station
Stamford railway station serves the town of Stamford in Lincolnshire, England. The station is west of Peterborough on the Syston and Peterborough Railway, the line is now part of the much bigger Birmingham to Peterborough Line. CrossCountry operate the majority of services as part of their...
to Rugby
Rugby railway station
Rugby railway station serves the town of Rugby in Warwickshire, England. It opened during the Victorian era, in 1885, replacing earlier stations situated a little further west...
and thence to Euston
Euston railway station
Euston railway station, also known as London Euston, is a central London railway terminus in the London Borough of Camden. It is the sixth busiest rail terminal in London . It is one of 18 railway stations managed by Network Rail, and is the southern terminus of the West Coast Main Line...
. The Midland Railway
Midland Railway
The Midland Railway was a railway company in the United Kingdom from 1844 to 1922, when it became part of the London, Midland and Scottish Railway....
shared it from 1857 when it built its extension from Leicester to Bedford and Hitchin
Hitchin
Hitchin is a town in Hertfordshire, England, with an estimated population of 30,360.-History:Hitchin is first noted as the central place of the Hicce people mentioned in a 7th century document, the Tribal Hidage. The tribal name is Brittonic rather than Old English and derives from *siccā, meaning...
.
As traffic built up, the Midland built a new line at a higher elevation, crossing the LNWR and then running parallel to a new joint station in the present position. The Midland line was quadrupled in 1879 and the new station opened in 1885.
The station was the scene of a serious accident in 1862. An excursion train bound for Burton-upon-Trent stopped to pick up water, and a second train bound for Leicester collided with the rear of it.
The service on the original LNWR line was drastically reduced in 1960 and finally closed in 1966. The Midland line continues, with the platform buildings and canopies replaced with modern designs in the sixties. The main building survived, however, and was carefully restored in 1981.
Summary of Former Services
Services
The service pattern from London St PancrasSt Pancras railway station
St Pancras railway station, also known as London St Pancras and since 2007 as St Pancras International, is a central London railway terminus celebrated for its Victorian architecture. The Grade I listed building stands on Euston Road in St Pancras, London Borough of Camden, between the...
is uneven, with two trains leaving in 15 minutes and then the next train in 45 minutes this continues every hour off peak. Trains to London are around every half hour and all off peak trains now start or end at Nottingham
Nottingham
Nottingham is a city and unitary authority in the East Midlands of England. It is located in the ceremonial county of Nottinghamshire and represents one of eight members of the English Core Cities Group...
. One of these are fast going non-stop to or from London. While the other is a semi-fast service via , , and . Services north to Nottingham call at and either and or . In the morning and evening some services are extended to Lincoln
Lincoln, Lincolnshire
Lincoln is a cathedral city and county town of Lincolnshire, England.The non-metropolitan district of Lincoln has a population of 85,595; the 2001 census gave the entire area of Lincoln a population of 120,779....
via Newark
Newark-on-Trent
Newark-on-Trent is a market town in Nottinghamshire in the East Midlands region of England. It stands on the River Trent, the A1 , and the East Coast Main Line railway. The origins of the town are possibly Roman as it lies on an important Roman road, the Fosse Way...
. All services are operated by East Midlands Trains
East Midlands Trains
East Midlands Trains is a British passenger train operating company. Based in Derby, it provides train services in the East Midlands, chiefly in the counties of Lincolnshire, South Yorkshire, Nottinghamshire, Leicestershire, Derbyshire and Northamptonshire, and between the East Midlands and London...
.
The weekend sees trains operating to York
York
York is a walled city, situated at the confluence of the Rivers Ouse and Foss in North Yorkshire, England. The city has a rich heritage and has provided the backdrop to major political events throughout much of its two millennia of existence...
and, in the summer, Scarborough. EMT hope that in the future when Network Rail have completed track upgrades that they will be able to run to Skegness
Skegness
Skegness is a seaside town and civil parish in the East Lindsey district of Lincolnshire, England. Located on the Lincolnshire coast of the North Sea, east of the city of Lincoln it has a total resident population of 18,910....
at the weekends.
Faster East Midlands Trains services to/from Sheffield
Sheffield
Sheffield is a city and metropolitan borough of South Yorkshire, England. Its name derives from the River Sheaf, which runs through the city. Historically a part of the West Riding of Yorkshire, and with some of its southern suburbs annexed from Derbyshire, the city has grown from its largely...
run through at high speed, but do not stop. Interchange with Faster services can be made at Leicester
Leicester
Leicester is a city and unitary authority in the East Midlands of England, and the county town of Leicestershire. The city lies on the River Soar and at the edge of the National Forest...
.
Bus services depart from outside the station and operate throughout the town and also to both Lutterworth
Lutterworth
Lutterworth is a market town and civil parish in the Harborough district of Leicestershire, England. The town is located in southern Leicestershire, north of Rugby, in Warwickshire and south of Leicester. It had a population of 8,293 in the 2001 UK census....
, Hinckley
Hinckley
Hinckley is a town in southwest Leicestershire, England. It has a population of 43,246 . It is administered by Hinckley and Bosworth Borough Council...
and Leicester.
Future
Market Harborough station is located on a large curve on the Midland Main Line, as a result of this line speeds through the station have always been relatively slow, at around 60 mile per hour. The track layout is set to change significantly over the next couple of years as Network RailNetwork Rail
Network Rail is the government-created owner and operator of most of the rail infrastructure in Great Britain .; it is not responsible for railway infrastructure in Northern Ireland...
engineers set about straightening the line, as part of their overall plan to increase overall line speeds, it is planned that both platforms will be extended by up to 106 metres by no later than 2012.
The initial specification for the new East Midlands Trains franchise would have seen a big reduction in the number of trains calling at Market Harborough. These plans were fought against by the Harborough Rail Users' Group, and, as a result, the final specification will see no reduction in services.
Stagecoach
Stagecoach
A stagecoach is a type of covered wagon for passengers and goods, strongly sprung and drawn by four horses, usually four-in-hand. Widely used before the introduction of railway transport, it made regular trips between stages or stations, which were places of rest provided for stagecoach travelers...
have promised as part of their bid that they will create additional car parking spaces at stations along their route, Market Harborough's new larger car park opened early in 2008.