Harborough MP backs Midlands Rail Hub

Neil O’Brien, MP for Harborough, Oadby and Wigston met with representatives from Midlands Connect, East Midlands Railway, Leicestershire County Council, and CrossCountry to discuss the benefits of the Midlands Rail Hub for his constituency.

The Midlands Rail Hub is an ambitious £1.75bn scheme which would create a massive uplift in capacity on the railway network in the Midlands, with up to 100 extra trains into Birmingham each day and many more services each day between our biggest cities in the West and East Midlands.

With the scheme in place and additional Birmingham to Leicester trains running, South Wigston will receive a regular hourly service to both Leicester and Birmingham, in place of today’s service which is less than hourly at some times of the day.

Neil O’Brien MP said:

“It has been great to hear about the Midlands Rail Hub and the benefits it will bring to train users in Harborough, Oadby and Wigston. It will be particularly beneficial for commuters in South Wigston who will have a better service to both Birmingham and Leicester. It’s a very exciting development and I am looking forward to seeing the project being delivered.”

Cllr Ozzy O’Shea, Leicestershire County Council cabinet member for transport, said:

“Transport investment in Leicestershire is always welcome. The Midlands Rail Hub proposal will improve services on the Leicester to Birmingham line, offering our residents more opportunities to travel by train. It will also benefit rail users making connecting journeys.”

Aiden Martin, Senior Sponsor at Network Rail, said:

“South Wigston will directly benefit from Midlands Rail Hub by seeing an increase in services calling at the station to better connect Birmingham and Leicester. By improving passenger journeys between towns and cities in the East and West Midlands, it will open up access to opportunities both regionally and nationally.

“Working with partners to explore the benefits it can bring is key and, with their support, I look forward to developing the programme further.”

Andy Clark, Integrated Transport Programme Manager at Midlands Connect, said:

“Midlands Rail Hub will benefit residents in Harborough, Oadby and Wigston, by providing more frequent services to Leicester and Birmingham. This will provide many opportunities for these communities, as well as creating economic growth and a sustainable future. It’s fantastic the scheme has support from the local MP and the Council.”

The Rail Hub is the region’s biggest rail improvement scheme and will serve more than 50 stations, covering 7 million people. Work is expected to run from 2025 until 2033 and will see the building of two ‘chords’ as well as further engineering interventions throughout the region.