Oakham to Kettering Line

Oakham to Kettering Line
Legend Birmingham to Peterborough Line Oakham Manton Birmingham to Peterborough Line Uppingham Branch Rugby and Stamford Railway To Peterborough East Welland Viaduct Harringworth Gretton Corby Geddington Midland Main Line Kettering Midland Main Line

The Oakham to Kettering Line is a railway line in the East Midlands of England. Currently it has one passenger station in operation, at Corby.

Current service

Corby railway station is served by one train per hour to and from London St Pancras via Kettering, Wellingborough, Bedford and Luton.^[2] The minimum journey time between Corby and London is 1 hour and 14 minutes.^[2] There is a limited service north of Corby to Derby via Oakham, Melton Mowbray^[3] and East Midlands Parkway.

History

The line was built in the 19th century as part of the Midland Railway. Its most notable engineering features are the Welland Viaduct (also called Harringworth Viaduct) and Corby Tunnel. The line was a major part of the Midland Main Line between London St Pancras, Nottingham, Leeds and Carlisle carrying named expresses such as The Waverley.

British Railways withdrew passenger services in 1966. Thereafter BR used the line mainly for freight traffic, and as an important diversionary route for Midland Main Line passenger trains during disruption or engineering work.

In 1977 the Parliamentary Select Committee on Nationalised Industries recommended considering electrification of more of Britain's rail network.^[4] By 1979 BR presented a range of options to do so by 2000,^[5] some of which included the Oakham to Kettering and Birmingham to Peterborough Lines.^[6] Under the 1979–90 Conservative governments that succeeded the 1976–79 Labour government, the proposal was not implemented.

Corby railway station was reopened in 1987 with a shuttle service between there and Kettering, but the service had a poor timetable and unreliable trains which led to the service being withdrawn in 1990.

A new Corby station opened on 23 February 2009, initially served by one return train per day to London St Pancras, operated by East Midlands Trains.^[7] A fuller service, with 13 daily return trains to London, started on 27 April 2009.^[2] Two trains per day in each direction extend north of Corby to Oakham and Melton Mowbray,^[3] one of which continues to East Midlands Parkway and Derby.

References

Sources

• Anonymous (Winter 1979). Railway Electrification. British Railways Board (Central Publicity Unit). pp. 0–2, 8. 

Railway lines in the East Midlands Primary Chiltern Main Line Cross Country Route East Coast Main Line Midland Main Line West Coast Main Line Local Birmingham to Peterborough Line Buxton Line Crewe-Derby Line Derwent Valley Line Doncaster to Lincoln Line Glossop Line Ivanhoe Line Northampton Loop Line Nottingham-Grantham Line Nottingham-Lincoln Line Oakham to Kettering Line Poacher Line Robin Hood Line Sheffield to Lincoln Line South Humberside Main Line Freight only Leicester to Burton upon Trent Line Shirebrook to High Marnham Heritage Battlefield Line Chasewater Railway Churnet Valley Railway Ecclesbourne Valley Railway Foxfield Railway Great Central Railway (Leicester) Great Central Railway (Nottingham) Lincolnshire Wolds Railway Midland Railway - Butterley Nene Valley Railway Northampton & Lamport Railway Peak Rail Rushden, Higham & Wellingborough Railway Rutland Railway (Cottesmore)

Coordinates: 52°39′N 0°43′W / 52.650°N 0.717°W / 52.650; -0.717