The East Midland Railway timetable consultation, and what it means for Bedford

Introduction Last November, East Midlands Railway announced a consultation on its timetable for December 2020. This will bring major changes to the express trains serving Bedford. This article outlines what’s happening, why, what it means for people who travel to and from Bedford by train, and what we do and don’t know for sure about… Read More The East Midland Railway timetable consultation, and what it means for Bedford

January 26, 2020January 26, 2020 John KellLeave a comment

How can passengers influence rail services?

The large-scale degradation of Bedford’s rail services has been a startling thing, both for the significance of the effects it has had on many, and for the extent to which we have seemed powerless to stop it being done to us. Over the last couple of years, we have temporarily lost our peaktime services to… Read More How can passengers influence rail services?

November 10, 2019November 10, 2019 John KellLeave a comment

New(ish) train for Bedford (4): Thameslink class 700s

This isn’t really about the class 700s. But, having looked at the fleets of trains set for imminent introduction to the lines around Bedford, we should probably complete the set by looking at the still very new, and now ubiquitous, class 700s. These trains will be the workhorses of the Thameslink network for no doubt… Read More New(ish) train for Bedford (4): Thameslink class 700s

April 25, 2019May 6, 2019 John Kell1 Comment

New trains for Bedford (3): Corby EMUs

The trains that operate the twice-hourly express services between St Pancras and Corby from December 2020 will be of most interest to Bedford commuters: these will provide the expresses when they are finally restored to Bedford during peak hours. Our summary of the requirements of the invitation to tender (ITT) to run the new East… Read More New trains for Bedford (3): Corby EMUs

March 21, 2019June 16, 2019 John Kell2 Comments

New trains for Bedford (2): Marston Vale Line D-trains

The new trains on the Marston Vale line have their origins, unusually, on the London Underground. By the time I first moved to London in 2005, the Tube had adopted a form still recognisable today: Oyster cards were already in widespread use, and its trains were uniformly presented in its corporate livery of white with… Read More New trains for Bedford (2): Marston Vale Line D-trains

March 17, 2019March 17, 2019 John KellLeave a comment

New trains for Bedford (1): Midland Main Line bi-modes

This is the first in a series of articles looking at the new types of rolling stock that will come to serve Bedford within the next five years or so. Starting with the introduction of the class 700s on Thameslink a few years ago, the fleet serving Bedford will have been completely replaced by the… Read More New trains for Bedford (1): Midland Main Line bi-modes

March 9, 2019 John Kell1 Comment

The East Midlands franchise – can we do better for Bedford?

The last post picked out some highlights from the Invitation To Tender (ITT) for the next East Midlands franchise, mainly in respect of what it will mean for intercity services calling at Bedford (and if you’ve not read that one, I’d recommend checking it out, as this will make a lot more sense if you… Read More The East Midlands franchise – can we do better for Bedford?

August 25, 2018August 26, 2018 John Kell1 Comment

Bedford Rail

Author: John Kell