UK: The next phase of electrification of the Midland Main Line has been ‘paused’, the government has announced.
The 25 kV 50 Hz electrification from London St Pancras has recently been extended over the 37 km between Kettering and Wigston near Leicester, extending the distance where East Midlands Railway’s future Hitachi Class 810 electro-diesel trainsets to use electric power.
However, the government announced on July 8 that Phase 3 which would have extended the wires to Derby, Nottingham and Sheffield has been put on hold.
The Department for Transport and HM Treasury said ‘given the existing trains in use on this stretch of railway and the costs and time needed to electrify the route, we are focusing our investment on other schemes over the Spending Review period. We will continue to keep the potential for full electrification of the route under review as part of our plans to decarbonise our railways and as funding becomes available in future.’
