page_title: Electric Spine
section_title: Midland Main Line
hierarchical_section_title: Electric Spine / Constituent projects / Initially prioritized works (2014–2019) / Midland Main Line
caption_attribution_description: English: Road bridges over the Midland Main Line in Bedfordshire were replaced in 2014 to allow overhead electrification and the passage of larger rolling stock. Here is the bridge carrying New Road at Object location52°&#160;11′&#160;56″&#160;N, 0°&#160;31′&#160;30″&#160;W&#160;View this and other nearby images on: OpenStreetMap - Google Earth is shown before (March 2014) and after (August 2014) the upgrade.
context_page_description: The "Electric Spine" was the name for part of a, now largely cancelled, rolling programme of railway electrification projects in England initially estimated to cost £800 million, but later thought to cost close to £3 billion. The aim was to form 25 kV AC overhead-wire electrified links northward from the Port of Southampton to major cities in northern and central England and a dry port container terminal in the Midlands. The government wanted efficient electric-hauled freight trains to compete with road haulage.
  In 2012, the spine was set to be completed within Network Rail's Control Period 5. This will not be the case, because various works were delayed, suspended for several months, moved into Control Period 6, and then scrapped altogether.
  Other works associated with the project were to have included gauge clearance for large shipping containers and electrified connections to adjacent electrified routes, depots and freight facilities.
  The north–south axis of the link leads to the spine name.
context_section_description: The electrification of the MML will be extended northward from its limit at Bedford. Bedford to Derby was originally scheduled to be electrified by 2019, but the work was "paused" in June 2015 despite significant progress having already been made. The electrification to Derby and beyond (e.g., from Trent Junction via Derby to Sheffield—completion originally due in December 2020—and also to Doncaster—originally due June 2021) will be much delayed.  On 30 September 2015, the Department for Transport announced the resumption of the work with revised completion dates of 2019 for Corby and Kettering and 2023 for the line further north to Leicester, Nottingham and Sheffield . Again this was shelved in July 2017 by the Transport Secretary.
  Bridges and other structures have been replaced to allow space for the overhead cables and also a larger loading gauge.
caption: Bridges over the Midland Main Line in Bedfordshire have been replaced to allow greater clearances for electrification and larger rolling stock. Before (top) and after (bottom) the 2014 upgrade.
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