The Anonymous Widower

Could Electric Trains Run Between St. Pancras International and Sheffield Stations With No More Electrification?

A reader suggested, that I look at this, so here goes!

• A couple of weeks ago, I took a Class 222 diesel train  back from Sheffield to St. Pancras International and it seemed a few minutes quicker.
• Looking at the timetable today, at least one service on the route is now just under two hours and some others are just over.

So the new Class 810 trains may not be fully in service yet, but the trains have already had an affect on the timetable.

How Far North Is The Midland Main Line Being Electrified?

I asked Google AI this question and received this answer.

• Northern Limit: The section from Kettering up to Wigston South Junction was energised in July 2024, representing the current northern limit of 25kV overhead line equipment (OLE).
• Pause in Further Electrification: Following a UK government spending review, the further, planned northward extension of electrification to Leicester, Derby, Nottingham, and Sheffield was indefinitely paused in July 2025.
• Current Operations: While electrification has stopped at Wigston, the line is served by new bi-mode (electro-diesel) trains, allowing for electric running from London St Pancras to Wigston before switching to diesel power.
• Previous Work: The line is also fully electrified from London St Pancras to Bedford, including the route to Corby.

Note.

1. South Wigston Junction and Sheffield are 69.4 miles apart.
2. The Hitachi trains can raise and lower pantographs on the move.

Distances without wires from London St. Pancras International to various destinations are as follows.

• Sheffield – 69.4 miles
• Leicester – 3.7 miles
• Derby – 36.4 miles
• Nottingham – 31.1 miles

As trains will have to go out and back to these destinations distances travelled will be doubled.

• Sheffield – 138.8 miles
• Leicester – 7.4 miles
• Derby – 72.8 miles
• Nottingham – 62.2 miles

It looks to me, that if the new Class 810 trains, can travel 138.8 miles on batteries and diesel engines as a tri-mode train, then the Midland Main Line is electrified.

Could The Sheffield Services Turn Round At Doncaster And Charge Their Batteries There?

Note.

1. South Wigston Junction and Doncaster are 79.5 miles apart.
2. Doncaster is a fully-electrified station.
3. Sheffield and Doncaster would get two extra connecting trains per hour.
4. The two services could also call at Meadowhall and/or Rotherham Central.

The Class 810 trains could charge their batteries, whilst passengers to and from Doncaster left and entered the trains.

Could A Simple Cross-Platform Change Be Arranged Between East Coast And Midland Main Line Services?

Doncaster station has two long island platforms, one of which is generally used for Northbound services and one for Southbound services.

 

Note.

1. All electrified tracks are shown in red.
2. The two wide island platforms, with Northbound on the West side and Southbound on the East side.
3. Each island platform has an electrified platform face on both sides.
4. The four platforms faces on the island platforms can hold pairs of five-car Hitachi trains.
5. There are two through tracks or avoiding lines between the two island platforms for trains that aren’t stopping.
6. There are bay platforms at the ends of the station for local trains.
7. The station is fully step-free with a wide pedestrian underpass.

I know the station well and it looks to me, that East Midland Railway’s five-car services for St. Pancras could charge up in the Southern ends of the four faces of the island platforms and the two South-facing bay platforms.

I also believe that a pair of five-car Class 810 trains could be handled and charged, should it become necessary.

It looks to me, that the engineers updating the East Coast Main Line, know that they were caught out badly by High Speed Two, so the redesign for the next fifty or a hundred years will be completely future-proofed.

Doncaster and London could almost be considered to be twin main lines, with two pairs of high speed lines taking different routes, that serve different towns and cities.

How Many Travellers Go Between East Scotland And The North-East of England And The English Midlands?

It must be quite a few, as in the new East Coast Main Line timetable, more Scottish services stop at places like Doncaster and Newark.

But surely, if you could go between say Perth or Aberdeen and Derby or Nottingham in two battery-electric trains, with a relaxed change at Doncaster, you’d take it?

I certainly would!

East Coast And Midland Main Lines Compared

These are times between London and Doncaster.

• Current times between Doncaster and London are typically between 1 hour and 31-40 minutes going via the East Coast Main Line.
• I estimate times between Doncaster and London will be typically 2 hours and 22-27 minutes going via the Midland Main Line.

Note.

1. Doncaster and London King’s Cross is 156 miles
2. Doncaster and London St. Pancras International is 183.3 miles
3. So the Midland Main Line route would appear to to be about 45 minutes slower.
4. I suspect, that for passengers between between London and North of York, it will always be quicker to use an East Coast Main Line service.

These are times between London and Sheffield.

• Current times between Sheffield and London are typically between 2 hours and 4-9 minutes going via the Midland Main Line.
• I estimate times between Sheffield and London will be typically between 2 hours and 2 minutes going via the East Coast Main Line.

Note.

1. Sheffield and London King’s Cross is via Retford.
2. Sheffield and London King’s Cross is 162.1 miles
3. Sheffield and London St. Pancras International is 183.3 miles
4. Sheffield and Retford is 23.5 miles
5. So the Midland Main Line route would appear to to be a few minutes slower.

I would feel that there is scope that under Great British Railways to optimise services between London and Doncaster and Sheffield.

The Master Cutler

The Master Cutler is a named train, that is described in this Wikipedia entry, that was introduced in 1947.

• Over its life it has run into both King’s Cross and St. Pancras.
• I can remember the train in the 1950s, running into King’s Cross.
• It has also been run to and from Leeds.
• It has been run as a Pullman service.
• There are reports of overcrowding in recent years.

It strikes me that the Master Cutler could do with a revamp.

• As St. Pancras can accept pairs of five-car Class 810 trains, ten-car trains could be run into King’s Cross or St. Pancras.
• An alternative would be to use a nine-car Hitachi Class 800/801 train.
• All trains would be battery electric.
• all trains would use the East Coast Main Line for a faster service.
• Services could terminate in the North at Leeds.
• The service could be run as a Pullman service.
• This article on Ian Visits, writes about East Coast Main Line trains using St. Pancras.

I would create a train service, that would attract passengers from all over the world.

 

 

February 7, 2026 Posted by AnonW | Artificial Intelligence, Transport/Travel | Battery-Electric Trains, Class 800 Train, Class 801 Train, Class 810 Train, Derby Station, East Coast Main Line, East Midlands Railway, Electrification, High Speed Two, High Speed Yorkshire, Leeds Station, Leicester Station, Midland Main Line, Midland Main Line Electrification, Nottingham Station, Pullman Trains, Retford Station, Sheffield Station, Wigston Junction | Leave a comment