Projects

Electrifying the Midland Main Line with Network Rail

The delivery of Midland Main Line Electrification (MMLE) is a critical component of the UK government’s plan to transform rail links across the Midlands and the North of England, while also achieving decarbonisation ambitions.

Key information

Client Network Rail

Location United Kingdom

Project type Infrastructure

Services Digital, Programme advisory, Project management

Project timeline 2021 - 2021

Train travelling railway tracks with overhead catenary wires against a purple sunset

Contact

Matthew Griffin

Director

Strategic vision

The strategic aim of the MMLE is to transform the way electrification is planned and delivered, outperforming cost targets and driving up productivity from the first phase of the electrification programme from London to Kettering.

It wants to set the benchmark for electrification programmes, targeting innovation and outcome-led procurement.

This will help to demonstrate that as an industry, electrification can be delivered affordably and efficiently, and will be a catalyst to a decarbonised national railway.

Project story

Move away from diesel

Owner and infrastructure manager of most of the UK’s railway network, Network Rail, wants to remove all diesel trains from the network by 2040.

The MMLE project will electrify the existing route from Market Harborough to Nottingham and Sheffield. Removal of diesel trains from passenger and freight fleets operating on the Midland Main Line is forecast to reduce annual carbon emissions by 114,500 tonnes.

It contains 420 single track kilometres of electrification with 76 structural interventions required.

Major programme setup

Network Rail’s senior leadership team sought our support to undertake a Project Routemap assessment addressing critical aspects of the programme’s delivery to ensure the programme was mobilised efficiently and effectively from the start.

These included a review of the delivery strategy, assurance that the required stakeholders had been engaged and obtaining clarity and alignment on the programme’s strategic drivers and priorities.

Working with the senior leadership team and the funding client, we helped the project tackle complex discussions and debates to enable consensus and clarity on the vision, mission, outcomes and the overall high-level requirements for the programme.

The recommendations from the Routemap assessment were translated into a blueprint for programme setup. This focused on the definition, development, and implementation of an MMLE target operating model to realise the Network Rail’s decarbonisation ambition.