Wigston Junction – 10th July 2025
It now appears that Wigston Junction, is as far North, as electrification will get on the Midland Main Line for some time.
This OpenRailwayMap shows the maximum speeds through the junction.
Note.
- Leicester station is to the North.
- London is to the South.
- Nuneaton is to the West.
- South Wigston station is indicated by a blue arrow.
- The Midland Main Line goes between the North and South points of the junction.
- Trains going North have a maximum speed of 100 mph.
- Trains going South have a maximum speed of 80 mph.
- Trains going along the North-West leg of the junction have a maximum speed of 40 mph.
- Trains going along the South-West leg of the junction have a maximum speed of 30 mph.
It would also appear that trains going North on the Midland Main Line can have a maximum speed of 100 mph or even 110 mph for most of the way between Market Harborough and just before Leicester, whilst going South is perhaps a couple of minutes slower.
This OpenRailwayMap shows the original plan for electrification through the junction.
Note.
- Red tracks are electrified.
- Black tracks are not electrified.
- Black/red dashed tracked were being electrified, but most are now paused.
- As before South Wigston station is indicated by a blue arrow.
Only the South point of the junction is electrified.
These pictures were taken from the train, as I passed Southwards from the North point of the junction to Market Harborough station.
Note.
- The first three pictures show the chord connecting to South Wigston station and on to Nuneaton.
- The next six pictures show the extra single track on the East side of the junction.
- There is a third track South of Wigston junction, that is about two miles long and electrified.
- All tracks South of Wigston junction are electrified.
It looks like a train could wait in the loop and be passed by a Northbound express.
Could the loop be used to charge trains in an emergency?
Conclusion
It would appear that Wigston junction could be a suitable place for the electrification to be paused.
All services to the North of Wigston junction would be on battery power, unless there is electrification.
North East Coast Named Top UK Rail Walking Route Thanks To Northumberland Line Reopening
The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on the Northumberland Gazette.
This is the sub-heading.
A once-missing link in Northumberland’s rail network has helped unlock a new coastal walking route.
These two introductory paragraphs add more detail.
Railwalks.co.uk, a national group which aims to promote walking from railway stations, has identified the North East coastline as one of the best-served by rail in Britain.
This has only become possible since the reopening of Ashington Station last year. Until July 19, Railwalks.co.uk founder member Steve Melia will be walking 92 miles from Alnmouth to Seaton Carew, following the England Coast Path.
If people are walking the coast, they are going to need support like cafes, pubs and shops.
This OpenRailwayMap shows the Northumberland Line and the coast.
Note.
- The orange track is the East Coast Main Line with stations at Widdrington, Pegswood and Cramlington, as you come down the map.
- The blue arrow indicates Ashington, which is the terminus of the Northumberland Line.
- The yellow track is the Northumberland Line, which passes through Newsham and Seaton Delaval.
- The green track at the bottom of the map, is the Newcastle Metro to Whitley Bay, Tynemouth and North Shields.
- To the East of Ashington is Museum Halt, which could be a station on an extension of the railway to Newbiggin-by-the-Sea, which I wrote about in Onward To Newbiggin-by-the-Sea For The Northumberland Line?.
How many other places in the UK would benefit from a new or reopened railway for business, leisure and building houses in nice little inaccessible towns and places?
The Anonymous Widower 