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New Corby rail service up and running - see the video here - 5.25pm update

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The histroic journey
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Published Date: 23 February 2009
A full train timetable for Corby should be up-and-running by April.


The good news came today as the first London-bound train in 40 years pulled out of the town's station.

The interim Business Express service rolled out of the futuristic station bang on time at 6.37am to cheers of joy.

One train will leave and arrive at the station each day until enough rolling stock can be secured by East Midlands Trains to run a full hourly service.

And civic leaders are confident the maiden voyage will mark a new chapter in Corby's history.

Borough council chief executive Chris Mallender said it made Corby a commuter town and could now be known as "North Londonshire".

Managing director of East Midlands Trains Tim Shoveller said: "For Corby this is fantastic news.

"This is a taster to the full service that we are hoping to start late in April. We need to secure one more train to run the hourly service.

"When you arrive at the station and see it full it's great."

About 80 passengers enjoyed the maiden journey.

Among the happy passengers were enthusiasts, commuters and sightseers.

Some got off at Kettering while others made the full journey to St Pancras station.

A return service for rush hour commuters left London at 6pm, scheduled to arrive back at 7.19pm.

Deputy leader of Corby Council Mark Pengelly said: "This is another great milestone for Corby.

"It means the town is now 70 minutes away from London and three hours from central Europe.

"A cinema for the town is the next project we're aiming for."

Corby and East Northamptonshire MP Phil Hope, who has campaigned for the station for 10 years, said: "This is a real landmark for us as a town.

"We're confident we'll get the full service soon after final negotiations.

"At the full official opening we'll have ribbons and hopefully the Minister for Transport will come because government backing for this scheme has been critical to its success."

He said the rail link to the rest of the country will help Corby weather the storm in the global economic recession and was confident people would be attracted to Corby to live and commute.

Plans are already in place for a walkway and cycle route to link the station in the Old Village with the town centre.


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  • Last Updated: 23 February 2009 5:20 PM
  • Source: n/a
  • Location: Kettering
 
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Mark Winspear,

Kettering 23/02/2009 09:12:10
Damn! I blinked and missed it! LOL
Still, there'll be another on along in a... day. :P
2

The Larkins.,

left behind on the platform 23/02/2009 09:36:25
Nice to see our Councillors travelling first class.
3

RNG,

Corby Old Village 23/02/2009 09:47:08
Well,at least it turned up and on time. Now,when did they say the full sevice will commence...? March..April..May..?
4

Feline42,

Rushden 23/02/2009 09:53:26
Wot! no graffiti?
5

NicB,

23/02/2009 10:22:47
Good. Still late, and not actually a new train (the same service was simply starting from Kettering), but we finally got there in the end.

Now, is there any chance of EMT running a service for the passengers? In my opinion, we need restoration of all the trains they've cut at Kettering and Wellingborough, and provision of a regular service at Corby.

In the longer term, they need to increase service frequency and capacity to deal with the new building in all three towns (Especially in Wellingborough - there's 3000-4000 more homes to be built almost on top of the station)
6

thegoodoldboysfromsaga,

23/02/2009 10:24:15
I heard it is only ever going to be one train a day cos that is all MP Hope needs.Lets not forget Hope got us this ! Hope secured the Trains ! Hope built the station ! Actually that is all us the people of Corby have - HOPE !!!!!
7

Mark Winspear,

Kettering 23/02/2009 12:00:27
Welcome thegoodoldboysfromsaga - appreciate your sense of humour :)
On the basis of what you say, the service could be lost next year :S
Seriously, the sooner the service is running fully, and then extended to link to the East Coast mainline, the better! Maybe HMG/Phil Hope & our local councils ought to lobby for National Express East Coast to be allowed/encouraged to run services via Corby, Kettering & Wellingborough (NOT stopping south of Wellingborough, direct to St Pancras)? It would bring much needed capacity and competition to this "forgotten/neglected bit of East Midland's franchise as well as vital direct connections on the East Coast main line to the North East and Scotland. As a bonus, it's operated by National Express, owners of the [now] much missed Midland Mainline.
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NicB,

23/02/2009 12:30:24
Agreed - there is no need for a service at Bedford and Luton - overcrowded EMT trains regularly go past empty FCC trains, there is plenty of capacity most of the day (yes, the 5:30 to 6pm is horrible for them, but even then, the FCC trains are fully seated by Westhampstead)

Of course, we need a link - the simplest thing to do would be take a single 5 car Meridian and just run it all day from Corby to Bedford on the 3rd track, stopping at W'boro and Kettering to pick up interchange passengers.
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Roberto,

Kettering 23/02/2009 12:46:43
Good news that the train actually left on time sad news is the service still has no firm date when it will commence a proper hourly service?

I think that NcB's comment of a Corby to Bedford shuttle is a good solution all round. Then we could have a half hourly service north and south of Kettering and W'Borough none of which need stop beyond W'borough. The Corby Bedford (and maybe onto Oxford via Bletchley when that section is up and running in a few years) could then provide a link to those wanting Bedford and stations south. That would also make Kettering/W'borough interchange stations for northerners who would change here for staions south. Worth thinking about perhaps?
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NicB,

23/02/2009 15:02:13
Roberto, I'm not sure a 30 minute north/south would be enough during the peaks - the current services for W'boro in the morning are 8-20 minutes apart and mostly full and standing by the time they leave, except on the random days when EMT bothers to send adequate sized trains. 15 minute gaps northbound during the evening would work fine, if there were no stops south of W'boro

Thinking about the Corby -> Bedford line, you wouldn't want it to be just a shuttle, you'd still want Corby trains through to London. While we're here, I notice that the "new" train came from Oakham, on track, so I would also be asking why we're not re-opening that route too. As our roads and skies clog up with traffic, we've got to find other transport routes, and our trains (and canals for some stuff!) are a solution in waiting. If they are run competently.
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