Electrifying the Midland Main Line will bring significant benefits
Benefits from electrifying the Midland Main Line will give improved journey times and reliability whilst lowering operating costs, reducing noise and air pollution
Electrification will facilitate faster, smoother, and quieter journeys, particularly with the introduction of new electric train fleets. It will also allow for increased capacity on the line, with more seats and more frequent services, especially during peak hours.
Reduced operational costs for rolling stock, fuel, and maintenance are anticipated.
Electrification will enable the use of electric trains, which produce significantly lower carbon emissions compared to diesel trains. Modern electric trains also utilise regenerative braking, further enhancing energy efficiency.
Modernising the railway infrastructure whilst electrifying the route, will allow for higher speeds and increased capacity.
Electrify Midland Main Line to Sheffield
Globally there is a target to reduce carbon emissions to zero by 2050. The extreme weather many countries have had this year show how important it is that we make progress on this target as fast as possible. One challenging area is transport.
The 2010-2015 Coalition Government planned to electrify the Midland Main Line, the railway line from London to Sheffield, by 2020. This would reduce pollution and increase capacity on the line. With ‘green’ electricity from renewable sources it would also help train travel become “zero carbon”.
This target has come and gone. Meanwhile the Government’s HS2 project, building a whole new railway line from London to the Midlands and beyond, has been severly reduced. It will now not reach Derby and the remaining section is seriously over time and over budget.
Liberal Democrat Lucy Care said “Recent Lib Dem research shows that, at the current rate, it will take 240 years to electrify UK railways. It is time to push for more progress. Electrification of our line to London – the Midland Main Line – will help Derby achieve its own zero carbon target as well as to allow faster, more frequent trains to London.”
Electrification of Midland Main Line
We call for the Government to increase investment in rail line electrification. In particular we ask for a timetable for the electrification of the Midland Main Line to be achieved by 2028 at the latest. East Midlands communities are losing out due to changes and cancellation of the HS2 rail project. Electrification will help increase train capacity on this important East Midlands route, improve efficiency and air quality, reduce carbon emissions and support the East Midlands and Yorkshire economies.
It is indeed disappointing to see the pause in Phase 3 of Midland Mainline electrification, especially given its clear economic and environmental benefits. Electrification remains a necessary development, and I will continue to make the case for it whenever opportunities arise. It is a project that aligns with our long-term goals for a cleaner, faster, and more reliable transport network, and I know many across the East Midlands feel strongly about its importance. At the same time, I want to highlight that the region has recently seen substantial transport investment announced, including progress on the Midlands Rail Hub East. This is a transformative initiative that will require sustained political focus and backing to deliver. I will always advocate for more investment into the East Midlands, but I also recognise that government must prioritise—and we will not always get everything we ask for.
Labour East Midlands mayor