Access improvements at Market Harborough station postponed

In November the transport minister Paul Maynard refused to confirm that the Midland main line will be electrified north of Kettering.

Today came news that as a result the long-promised access improvements at Market Harborough station have been postponed.

The news is contained in a letter from Maynard to Sir Edward Garnier, the Conservative MP for Harborough. You will find the letter on Sir Edward's website, though he has not been moved to offer a comment on it.

We will see more disappointing news like this around the country as HS2 eats up all the funding for rail investment.

What may be more bad news for Harborough travellers came today in the form of an answer from Chris Grayling.

According to BBC News:

Transport Secretary Chris Grayling is promising to launch what he calls a "proper, dedicated commuter" rail service linking Kettering, Corby and London by 2020 ... 

Transport Secretary Chris Grayling said change would start to come when the franchise - currently operated by East Midlands Trains - was renewed in 2018. 

He said that rather than passengers from Northamptonshire having to board trains coming from the further north down to London, they would have a service originating from Corby and Kettering.

Unless Grayling is going to pay for more trains and someone is going to conjure up more paths, that sounds to me like a recipe for fewer services going north of Kettering and calling at Market Harborough.