Buses replace trains at Market Harborough all day on Saturday 19 and Sunday 20 September, and the London trains that do still run will not call at the station.

There will be no trains at Market Harborough on Saturday 19 and Sunday 20 September. East Midlands Railway says buses will replace trains between Kettering, Market Harborough, Leicester and Loughborough all day on both days.

The part that catches people out is what happens to the trains that do run. A reduced service of one train an hour will still work between London St Pancras International and Nottingham and Sheffield. Those trains will not call at Market Harborough or Leicester. They will call additionally at Wellingborough and Corby instead.

So the station is not on a slower service that weekend. It is off the railway.

What runs, and what does not

East Midlands Railway’s own notice sets out the pattern:

  • Buses replace trains between Kettering, Market Harborough, Leicester and Loughborough, all day Saturday and all day Sunday
  • One train an hour runs between London St Pancras International and Wellingborough
  • One train an hour runs between London St Pancras International and Nottingham and Sheffield, calling additionally at Wellingborough and Corby, and not at Market Harborough or Leicester
  • The Leicester to Loughborough replacement buses call at Syston, Sileby and Barrow upon Soar

The operator says the work is taking place at multiple locations between London St Pancras International and Sheffield, closing various lines.

Market Harborough rail services, weekend of 19 and 20 September 2026 Three bars. Buses replace trains between Kettering, Market Harborough, Leicester and Loughborough all day both days. One train an hour runs between London St Pancras and Wellingborough. One train an hour runs between London St Pancras and Nottingham or Sheffield, calling at Wellingborough and Corby but not at Market Harborough or Leicester. Market Harborough, Saturday 19 and Sunday 20 September What East Midlands Railway says will run, and where it will stop Buses replace trains, all day both days Kettering, Market Harborough, Leicester and Loughborough 1 train an hour: London St Pancras to Wellingborough Reduced service. Wellingborough is the northern limit. 1 train an hour: London St Pancras to Nottingham / Sheffield Calls additionally at Wellingborough and Corby. Does NOT call at Market Harborough or Leicester. Source: East Midlands Railway service alteration notice, checked 12 September 2026. Graphic by Harborough News

The strike on 16 and 17 September is off

Separately, East Midlands Railway has confirmed that the RMT strike action due to take place on Wednesday 16 and Thursday 17 September 2026 has been suspended. Its strike information page now carries that notice and nothing else.

If you moved a meeting or booked a hotel around those two days, the trains are expected to run normally.

Late nights on the weekdays before

There is also engineering work on the weeknights of Monday 14 to Friday 18 September, closing some lines from Monday evening until Saturday morning. Most of the named changes are in the Derby area and at the very end of the night out of St Pancras. Market Harborough is not named in either notice as losing a stop, but three late London departures are affected further up the line:

  • The 22:35 St Pancras to Nottingham terminates at Derby and does not call at Beeston or Nottingham, Monday to Thursday
  • The 23:04 St Pancras to Derby leaves Wellingborough later at 00:30, then runs earlier from Leicester and terminates at Derby at 01:54
  • The 23:35 St Pancras to Nottingham leaves Kettering later at 01:04 and terminates at Derby at 02:35

If you use the last train home, check the day you are travelling rather than assuming the printed time.

What it means for you

If you are travelling to London on 19 or 20 September, you are looking at a bus to Kettering or Wellingborough and a train from there, or a longer road journey. The normal fastest booked run from Market Harborough is 57 minutes to St Pancras, and that is not what this weekend will feel like.

Four practical points:

  • Allow extra time. The operator’s own advice is that replacement vehicles may be busier than usual.
  • Check where the bus goes from. Pick-up and drop-off points are shown on station signage and on East Midlands Railway’s Find a Station page, not necessarily at the usual taxi rank.
  • If you need assistance, book it in advance. Replacement buses do not have the same access arrangements as a train.
  • Plan the journey on the day’s timetable, using National Rail Enquiries, rather than the standard one.

Driving instead is a fair option from Market Harborough, but check what is dug up first. The A6 north of town is closed for resurfacing until 26 September, and Lubenham Hill goes under multi-way signals from Monday 14 September. Both are on our roadworks and travel page. Station parking is covered on the trains to London page, and town centre charges are on our parking page.

Frequently asked questions

Are there trains from Market Harborough on 19 and 20 September 2026?

No. East Midlands Railway says buses replace trains between Kettering, Market Harborough, Leicester and Loughborough all day on both days. The reduced hourly London to Nottingham and Sheffield service that does run will not call at Market Harborough.

How do I get from Market Harborough to London that weekend?

Take the replacement bus to Kettering or Wellingborough and pick up a train from there. One train an hour runs between London St Pancras International and Wellingborough, and one an hour between London and Nottingham or Sheffield calling at Wellingborough and Corby.

Where do the rail replacement buses leave from?

East Midlands Railway says pick-up and drop-off points are shown on station signage and on its Find a Station page. Check on the day rather than assuming the usual taxi rank.

Is the rail strike on 16 and 17 September still happening?

No. East Midlands Railway says the planned RMT strike action due on Wednesday 16 and Thursday 17 September 2026 has been suspended.

Sources