In message
-sept
ember.org, at 10:01:39 on Wed, 9 Aug 2017, Recliner
remarked:

It occurs to me that if the line is electrified to Corby (despite it
being "North of Kettering", that's what the "Bedford to Kettering
electrification" is all about) then they could release the three
Meridians used for that service to replace HSTs on the main line.

Three short Meridians wouldn't be enough, surely?

No. And it would be politically unacceptable

Whereas scrapping almost all the new MML electrification *is*
politically acceptable?

for the new MML franchise to make no use of the newly electrified line.

It wouldn't be making "no use"; there'd be EMUs from St Pancras to
Corby, assuming that route wasn't transferred to Thameslink.

So it's a safe bet that Grayling knew what he was talking about when he
announced that bi-modes would be used.

He knew he was buying time, knowing that this frog still has several
rounds of being boiled to come.
--
Roland Perry