Calls Grow For Direct Trains To New Universal Park
The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on the BBC.
This is the sub-heading
There are growing calls for more train services to run directly to Universal’s planned UK theme park.
These two paragraphs add more details.
West Northamptonshire Council said it had written to the secretary of state for transport to ask that Northampton be included in passenger service plans for East West Rail.
It comes after Northampton South’s Labour MP Mike Reader raised the issue in the House of Commons, warning the current plans meant the town could “miss out on the opportunities” the park brings.
How Will Universal United Kingdom Resort Connect To The Rail System?
I asked Google AI the question above and received this answer.
The proposed Universal United Kingdom Resort near Bedford will connect to the rail system via two primary railway stations:
Wixams Station (Midland Main Line): A two-platform station currently under construction to the east of the site. Universal plans to expand this to four platforms to accommodate high visitor volume, connecting passengers directly to Thameslink services in about 45 minutes from Central London. A dedicated fleet of resort shuttle buses will run between Wixams and the park entrance.
East West Rail Station (Stewartby): A dedicated, purpose-built station is planned directly adjacent to the resort on the western side of the park. This will replace the older Kempston Hardwick station, providing high-capacity, five-carriage trains running between Oxford and Cambridge.
Together, these stations and surrounding road networks—such as the upcoming dedicated slip roads off the A421—will form the East and West Gateway Zones for the resort.
This OpenRailwayMap shows the railways in the are of the Universal United Kingdom Resort.
Note.
- The red track is the Midland Main Line between St. Pancras and Leicester, Derby, Nottingham and Sheffield.
- The black track is the East-West Rail between Bedford and Oxford when it opens.
- This section of the East-West Rail is shown dashed as it is not finalised yet
- The East-West Rail should eventually connect Oxford and Cambridge.
- The blue arrow indicates Stewartby station.
- The village of Wixams is at the right edge of the map.
If you read the Wikipedia entry for the new Wixams station, you get the impression, that a lot of groups and organisations don’t agree on lots of things about the railway, the theme park and Wixams station.
This second OpenRailwayMap shows the railways between Northampton and Bedford.
Note.
- The red tracks at the left are the West Coast Main Line between Euston and the North.
- The blue arrow indicates Northampton station.
- The red tracks at the right are the Midland Main Line between St. Pancras and the Midlands
- The black tracks connecting the two main lines are East-West Rail.
- The Western end of this section is at Bletchley, where the East-West Rail crosses the West Coast Main Line and also connects to it.
- The Eastern end of this section is at Bedford, where the East-West Rail joins the Midland Main Line through Bedford.
- Milton Keynes station is on the West Coast Main Line, just a few miles North of Bletchley station.
It looks to me, that a train could run between Northampton and Bedford stations, which could stop at Stewartby.
Are Universal United Kingdom Resort Going To Encourage Visitors To Use Rail?
I asked Google AI the question above and received this answer.
Yes, the Universal United Kingdom resort is making extensive plans to encourage and accommodate visitor travel by rail. The upcoming destination near Bedford is heavily integrating public transit into its infrastructure to manage the expected 8.5 million annual visitors.
The resort’s focus on railway accessibility includes several key features:
Dedicated Resort Station: Land has been explicitly reserved for a dedicated railway station directly at the resort on the East West Rail line, which connects Oxford and Cambridge.
Increased Train Frequency: To ensure seamless transportation, the East West Rail service plans to run up to five trains per hour during peak times specifically to cater to theme park visitors once it is fully operational.
Wixams Station Upgrades: A significant portion of a £1.3 billion government investment package is being utilized to construct and expand the nearby Wixams Railway Station, creating robust links along the Midland Mainline.
Initial Bus & Marston Vale Services: For the opening window of the park, Universal is setting up dedicated bus connections (such as from Milton Keynes) alongside existing local Marston Vale line options as full East West Rail expansions are completed.
Note how this question got slightly different answers to my original question, but they don’t conflict with each other.
I do find though with AI, that the more questions you ask and the more you refine those questions, the better answers you obtain.
But surely that is to be expected. Or at least hoped for!
Will Universal United Kingdom Resort Be Attracting Overseas Visitors?
I asked Google AI the question above and received this answer.
Yes, the Universal United Kingdom Resort will be a major draw for international tourists. Projections estimate that the park will attract well over one million overseas visitors annually, serving as a catalyst to boost Britain’s global visitor economy.
The resort’s target demographic is explicitly designed to tap into international travel markets:
International Forecasts: Tourism officials and developers project that up to one-third (30%) of all visitors in its opening year will be from overseas, with projections shifting toward a 40% to 50% international mix as the resort matures.
Global Location: As the only Universal-branded theme park in Europe, it will be highly accessible to travelers arriving through London’s major international airports and rail hubs.
Economic Boost: Because of this anticipated influx, the UK Government is backing the Universal United Kingdom Resort with £1.3 billion for strategic road and rail upgrades. This includes enhancing connectivity on the A421 and at Wixams train station to seamlessly transport international visitors directly to the Bedfordshire site.
Will Universal United Kingdom Resort Be Attracting Visitors From Scotland?
I asked Google AI the question above and received this answer.
Yes, the Universal United Kingdom Resort in Bedfordshire is expected to be a major draw for visitors from Scotland. As the first Universal-branded theme park in Europe, it is designed as a destination resort meant to attract millions of tourists annually from across the UK and the wider continent.
The projected 8.5 million annual visitors will be drawn from all over, driven by several key factors:
High-Speed Connectivity: Situated in Kempston, Bedfordshire, the resort is roughly 50 miles north of London. Scottish travelers can easily access it by taking direct train routes (e.g., LNER or Avanti West Coast) from Edinburgh and Glasgow to London Kings Cross or St Pancras, then catching connecting trains to Bedford in under an hour. Alternatively, direct flights into London Luton Airport place visitors within a very short distance of the park.
National Draw: Because it is the only destination of its kind in the UK, it is being positioned as a “must-visit” national tourist attraction, capturing a large domestic market extending well beyond the southeast of England.
I believe that travelling between Universal United Kingdom Resort and Scotland by rail could be improved significantly, if the following were to be done.
- Fit batteries to the Class 810 trains run by East Midlands Railway, so they could run between St. Pancras and Sheffield stations without using diesel. This in itself, would probably attract more passengers.
- I believe that little or no electrification would need to be added, so that Sheffield could be an all electric and probably faster, trip from London or Universal United Kingdom Resort.
- The battery-electric trains would need to be charged at Sheffield, but why not do this at Doncaster station, which is a station with copious electrification.
- Extending the Sheffield services to Doncaster would also allow LNER passengers between Aberdeen, Edinburgh or Newcastle and Derby or Universal United Kingdom Resort, to do the trip with a single cross-platform change at Doncaster between two almost identical Hitachi trains.
- Sadly, the Midland Main Line has suffered a tragic accident this week. Were passengers going between Scotland and say Luton Airport inconvenienced? I believe that linking the two London services together at Doncaster, would have advantages for passengers, operators and Network Rail. Especially, when engineering works are scheduled!
I talk about using battery-electric trains to fully electrify the Midland Main Line in Could Electric Trains Run Between St. Pancras International and Sheffield Stations With No More Electrification?
Footage Released Of East West Rail’s First Commercial Freight Train
The title of this post, is the same as that of this news item from Network Rail.
These four paragraphs give detail to the story.
The inaugural journey was part of a dual first, as it also saw the entry into service of Maritime Transport’s Northampton Gateway Terminal.
This Easter Network Rail completed its work there to join the 35-acre freight facility directly to the West Coast Main Line via the Northampton Loop.
The modern junction design allows freight trains to enter and exit the site at speeds of up to 40mph, which is eight times faster than conventional freight connections.
Clearing the railway junction much faster will significantly improve both passenger and freight journeys – as it reduces the impact on other services running on the main line.
This OpenRailwayMap shows the location of Maritime Transport’s Northampton Gateway Terminal.
Note.
- The red track running diagonally across the bottom half of the map is the West Coast Main Line.
- The orange track running North-South is the Northampton Loop of the West Coast Main Line.
- The blue arrow indicates Northampton station.
- The grey line running diagonally across the map, vaguely parallel to the West Coast Main Line is the M1 Motorway.
- The SEGRO Logistics Park Northampton Gateway is indicated between the Northampton Loop and the M1 Motorway.
This Google Map shows the layout of the logistics park to a larger scale.
Note.
- The Northampton Loop of the West Coast Main Line running North-South across the map.
- The M1 Motorway running between the North-West and South-East corners of the map.
- Junction 15 is the M1 junction in the South-East corner of the map which connects the logistics park and the A45 to the M1.
- Junction 15A is the M1 junction in the North-West corner of the map which connects the A43 and Northampton services to the M1.
- There is probably space to add more warehouses and other facilities.
The logistics park is well connected to both rail and road.
This second Google Map shows the rail connection to the logistics park in more detail.
From this map, it appears that Network Rail have met their objective outlined in this paragraph of the news item.
The modern junction design allows freight trains to enter and exit the site at speeds of up to 40mph, which is eight times faster than conventional freight connections.
As only freight trains and slower passenger trains use the Northampton Loop, I would expect that freight trains should be able to enter and leave the logistics park with the minimum of disruption to traffic on the Northampton Loop.
The Route Of Yesterday’s Train
These three paragraphs from the Network Rail news item describe the route.
The first commercial freight train has travelled along the East West Rail line as part of its journey into a new strategic rail freight interchange in Northampton.
Shortly after 13:00 yesterday (Monday 16 June) the service* from Didcot came onto the new infrastructure at Oxford, travelling the 35 miles to Milton Keynes to connect with the West Coast Main Line.
It marked the first time East West Rail infrastructure has been used for commercial freight, after many months of signaller training and train driver learning since the £1.2bn railway was completed in October 2024.
This OpenRailwayMap shows the route from Didcot to Milton Keynes.
Note.
Didcot Parkway station is in the South-West corner of the map.
Milton Keynes Central is in the North-East corner of the map and marked with a blue error.
The route is via Oxford, Oxford Parkway, Bicester Village, Winslow and Bletchley.
This video shows the train passing Winslow.
Reopening Milton Keynes And Market Harborough Via Northampton
This post was originally part of Shapps Supports Beeching Axe Reversals.
That post takes its name from an article with a similar name in Rail Magazine.
But I now feel it would be better if it became a standalone post.
This route has not been proposed as a Beeching Reversal, but seems to have surfaced from the MP and the local rail group.
I was digging around the Internet looking for the words “Beeching Reversal, I found when this article on the Harborough Mail, which is entitled Harborough Rail Group Says Plan To Reopen Historic Line Is A ‘Excellent Idea’.
This is the introductory paragraph.
Moves to reopen the historic Market Harborough-Northampton railway line are being backed by a local rail passengers’ chief.
The Market Harborough-Northampton Line was only finally closed in 1981.
- It used to connect the two stations with a double-track railway.
- It is about fourteen miles long.
- It is now partly a heritage railway and a walking and cycling route called the Brampton Valley Way.
I have flown my virtual helicopter along the route and can make these observations.
- There is space for a bay platform at Market Harborough station.
- Once clear of Market Harborough, the route appears to be across open countryside.
- The connection to the Northampton Loop Line wouldn’t be too difficult.
The only problem, I can see is that the route into Market Harborough station appears to be tricky.
These are a few of my thoughts.
What Passenger Service Would Be Provided?
Consider.
- The route could certainly handle an hourly shuttle, as does the nearby Marston Vale Line.
- Northampton station currently has three trains per hour (tph) to and from London.
- Timings between Northampton and Market Harborough stations would probably be around twenty minutes.
- Fast services between Northampton and Euston take about an hour.
- Four tph between Northampton and London would probably be desirable.
So could a fourth service to and from London, be extended to Market Harborough station? Or perhaps even Leicester, which already has a platform, where the trains could be turned back?
- I estimate that with a ten minute turnround at Market Harborough, a three hour round trip would be possible and very convenient.
- A single track between Northampton and Market Harborough station would be enough.
- The fourteen miles between the two stations could be handled by a battery-electric train, as there will be electrification at both ends of the route.
- Porterbrook are developing a battery-electric Class 350 train.
At a first glance, this looks to be a very sensible proposition.
This map clipped from Wikipedia, shows the rail line between Milton Keynes Central and Northampton stations.
It is planned to introduce, a service between Marylebone and Milton Keynes Central using the tracks of the East West Rail Link.
- It could be run by East West Rail or Chiltern.
- It might be an easier service to operate as trains wouldn’t need to be turned back at Milton Keynes Central station.
- It might be a better financial option, if services were to be extended to Northampton and Market Harborough.
As the East West Rail Link is being built by a private company, do they have plans to create services between say Leicester and Oxford?
An Alternative Route To Leicester
A London Euston and Leicester service via Watford Junction, Milton Keynes, Northampton and Market Harborough could be run either as a regular service or when there are engineering works on the Midland Main Line.
Bringing Workers To Milton Keynes, Northampton and Leicester
When I moved back to Suffolk forty years ago, trains between Cambridge and Ipswich and Cambridge and Norwich were irregular hourly services using single or two-car trains. The good job prospects available in Cambridge, now mean that Greater Anglia now run four-car Class 755 trains on these routes to an hourly timetable.
Milton Keynes, Northampton and Leicester all need similar connections to stimulate employment.
Could Freight Trains Use The Northampton And Market Harborough Line?
Consider.
- A large rail freight interchange is being developed close to East Midlands Airport.
- The East West Rail Link will be a better route between Southampton Docks and the West Coast Main Line, than the current roundabout routes.
- Multimodal trains need to travel between the East Midlands and Sheffield and Southampton Docks.
- Stone trains need to travel between the North Midlands and West London.
If the Northampton and Market Harborough Line were to be reopened, it would provide a convenient freight route between the Midland Main Line and the West Coast Main Line.
Would the The Northampton And Market Harborough Line Be Electrified?
Consider.
- It joins the electrified Midland Main Line at Market Harborough station.
- It joins the electrified Northampton Loop Line at Northampton station.
- It is only fourteen miles long.
- Most trains should be able to bridge use the line on battery power.
- It will be a new well-surveyed railway, which is easier to electrify.
I suspect, whether the line is electrified will be more down to planning issues.
Would the The Northampton And Market Harborough Line Be Double Track?
The line was double-track when it closed and I think that only planning issues will stop it being reopened as a double track.
Is the Opening Of The Northampton And Market Harborough Line Being Driven By The East West Rail Link?
This is a paragraph from the Rail Magazine article.
Asked by Andrew Lewer (Con) at Transport Questions on October 24 whether he would elaborate on plans to open the proposed Market Harborough line as part of the Oxford to Cambridge expressway he said: “I understand that the reopening is at a formative stage, but I am very supportive of it. Indeed, I support the reopening of many of the smaller lines that were closed as a result of the Beeching cuts under a Labour Government, and I should like to see as many reopened as possible.”
Does that mean that The East West Rail Link is driving this project?
Conclusion
The reopening of Northampton and Market Harborough Line would appear to enable the following.
- Passenger trains between Marylebone and/or London Euston and Market Harborough and/or Leicester.
- Passenger trains between Oxford and Leicester via Milton Keynes, Northampton and Market Harborough.
- An increase to four tph between Northampton and Milton Keynes Central.
- A valuable freight route between Southampton Docks and the East Midlands and South Yorkshire.
It would also provide a connection between the West Coast Main Line and the Midland Main Line.
Reopening of the Northampton and Market Harborough Line could be a nice little earner for the East West Rail Link, if it hosted the following services.
- Freight trains between Southampton Docks and the East Midlands and South Yorkshire.
- Stone trains between the North Midlands and London.
- Passenger trains between Marylebone and/or London Euston and Market Harborough and/or Leicester.
- Passenger trains between Oxford and/or Reading and Market Harborough and/or Leicester.
These sections could also be electrified.
- Basingstoke and Reading
- Didcot Parkway and Oxford
- Oxford and Milton Keynes
- Northampton and Market Harborough
Much of the abandoned Electric Spine would have been created.
The only possible problem I see with this project is connecting the route to Market Harborough station.
Shapps Supports Beeching Axe Reversals
The title of this post is the same as that of this article on Rail Magazine.
This is the introductory paragraph.
Secretary of State for Transport Grant Shapps says he supports the reopening of routes closed in the Beeching cuts of the 1960s.
In the article, which describes proceedings in the House of Commons, Grant Shapps, says he was very supportive of opening the Market Harborough Line.
I have now moved the rest of this article to a standalone article with a title of Reopening Milton Keynes And Market Harborough Via Northampton.
By Rail From Bedford To Northampton
One of my Google Alerts picked up this article from the Northampton Chronicle, which is entitled Rail campaigners reject calls by St James residents to re-open Northampton link road.
There used to be a Bedford to Northampton Line, but it has been gradually abandoned, despite interest in using it for the following.
- As an extension to Thameslink to Northampton.
- As a freight route to the West Midlands.
I also feel that with Bedford likely to be an important station on the East-West Rail Link, surely the rail link to Northampton shouldn’t be compromised, so that it can’t be reinstated.
- It would make journeys between Cambridge, Ipswich and Norwich and Northampton and the West Midlands a lot easier.
- Freight from between Felixstowe and the West Midlands would have an alternative route.
I don’t think anything will happen soon, but the expansion of Thameslink and the East West Rail Link to Bedford will make everybody think.
The New Northampton Station
Surely, a town trying to sell itself as a town to both develop and build cutting-edge products, needs a modrn gateway to the world.
Over the last couple of years, Northampton station has been rebuilt and it is now a superb gateway to the town.
When the platforms and stairs have been finished, it’ll be one of the best medium-sized stations in the country.
The Anonymous Widower 