South of Bedford Upgrade

We are upgrading the overhead line equipment (OLE) from Hendon to Luton South and Luton North to Bedford to allow trains to run at up to 125mph.

Work on this project began in September 2023 and should be completed by Summer 2025.

What work is taking place?

The project will be done in two phases, Hendon to just south of Luton and north of Luton to Bedford.

We are upgrading the wiring on this part of the Midland Main Line so that the bi-mode trains will be able to travel at up to 125mph on this section of the line.

This means the wires will ‘bounce’ less when the trains are travelling faster. This involves adding more weight to the wires so there is more tension and better contact between the wire and the pantograph. We are also replacing head spans and some other OLE components that are life expired.

When is the work taking place?

We need to do this work when the trains aren’t running as we need to access the track and the overhead lines. This will usually be at night. This could be during the week and on some weekends.

Sat 7 December 2024

  • EMR services to terminate at Bedford from the north with rail replacement road services to Luton for onwards travel on GTR services.
  • No EMR services will operate south of Bedford.
  • GTR will run 8 trains per hour (tph) on the southern end of the MML 4tph from Luton, 2tph from Harpenden and a further 2tph from St.Albans.

Sun 8 December 2024

  • EMR services to terminate at Bedford from the north with rail replacement road services to Luton for onwards travel on GTR services.
  • No EMR services will operate south of Bedford.
  • GTR will run 4 trains per hour from Luton to St.Pancras.

Saturday 21 December – Monday 30 December 2024

Sunday 16 February 2025

  • No trains from Luton to Bedford. Buses will replace trains.

Saturday 22 February – Sunday 23 February 2025

  • On Saturday EMR trains to terminate at Bedford. Buses will replace trains to Luton for onwards travel on GTR services on Saturday and across to Hitchin for ECML connections on Sunday.
  • No EMR services will operate south of Bedford.

Saturday 1 March – Sunday 2 March 2025

  • EMR and Thameslink trains to terminate at Luton from the north, with bus replacements to Hitchin and Potters Bar.
  • There will also be bus replacements from Luton to Mill Hill.

Please visit your train operating company or National Rail for more information.

How will this work affect me?

We need to do this work when the trains aren’t running as we need to access the track and the overhead lines. This will usually be at night. This could be during the week and on some weekends.

If you live near to where we are working, we will write to you in advance of any work that may be disruptive to let you know where and when we are working.

Some of our vehicles and equipment may be noisy but we will make every effort to minimise any unnecessary noise and brief our teams regarding working responsibly within the local community.

For more information about living near the railway please see our Living by the railway page. If you are a passenger our work will sometimes mean that your journey will be disrupted, as detailed above.

Why is the work needed?

Electric trains are better for the environment than diesel trains, and they’re quieter for both those on board the train and those living close to the railway.​

The Midland Main Line south of Bedford is already electrified but some of the overhead line equipment (OLE) used by electric and bi-mode trains is becoming out of date and needs to be replaced.

Trains on this part of the line are currently only able to travel at a maximum speed of 100mph, even though the speed limit is usually 125mph. Our upgrades will mean that trains are able to travel at up to 125mph from south of Bedford to London St Pancras.

We will be adding more weight to the wires so there is more tension and better contact between the wire and the pantograph. This means the wires will ‘bounce’ less when the trains are travelling, which means the trains will be able to travel at faster speeds more easily.

Get in touch

If you have any additional questions or concerns, visit our contact us page or telephone our 24-hour National Helpline on 03457 11 41 41