86-530: The Old Dalby Test Track is a railway in the United Kingdom which is used for testing new designs of trains and railway infrastructure. It runs between Melton Mowbray , Leicestershire and Edwalton , on the course of the Midland Railway 's route between Kettering and Nottingham which closed to passengers on 1 May 1967, and to goods in 1968. It is 13.5 miles (21.7 km) in length. Since its first use at
172-459: A nuclear flask train was conducted, witnessed by a large crowd; most testing has been closed to the public and security measures are typically present around the line to deter intrusion. During the mid-1990s, as a result of British Rail's privatisation , ownership of the line was transferred to BRB (Residuary) Limited , while its historic main user, the Research Division, was abolished. In
258-402: A Central Line train derailment near Mile End , in which a train hit a fire blanket left by maintenance workers. In April 2007, Mayor Ken Livingstone stated that Metronet could collapse due to a £750 million overspend. In July 2007, it was reported that Metronet was "teetering on the brink of administration". The situation arose because it had received only £121 million out of
344-509: A May 2004 derailment at White City , for failing to implement sufficient safety checks despite being ordered to do so by TfL. During March 2005, the House of Commons Transport Select Committee noted that "Availability is the most important factor for Tube travellers. All the infracos needed to do to meet their availability benchmarks was to perform only a little worse than in the past. On most lines, they did not even manage that." That same month,
430-508: A PPP, the British Government having signaled its intention to transfer such activity from the public sector, although the bidding process was protracted by political disagreements. Metronet emerged as the successful bidder for two 30-year contracts covering various tube and sub-surface lines; starting in 2003, it was responsible for the maintenance, renewal, and upgrade of the infrastructure (track, trains, tunnels, signals, and stations) on
516-755: A community-based radio station which broadcast from the town on 103 FM. The Melton Times is the town's weekly local newspaper. Two main roads intersecting at Melton Mowbray are the A606 between Nottingham and Oakham and the A607 between Leicester and Grantham . Other roads include the A6006 from Asfordby , the second section of the B676 road to Colsterworth, and the B6047 road to Market Harborough , which starts in Melton. A bypass relief road,
602-464: A day, though this is less than earlier. Masterfoods now has its UK headquarters close to Melton at Waltham-on-the-Wolds . St Mary's Church dates mainly from the 13th–15th centuries. It has been described as "one of the finest parish churches in Leicestershire". The Melton Carnegie Museum was refurbished in 2010 to cover the history of the town. Included are sounds from the ages, a history of
688-869: A designated zone round Melton using uncured pork may bear the Melton Mowbray name. The pork was originally a by-product of cheese making as the whey was fed to pigs. Melton Mowbray is home to Melton cloth, a tightly woven fabric first mentioned in 1823, heavily milled with a nap raised to a short, dense non-lustrous pile . Sailors' pea coats are traditionally made of it, as are the commonly worn workmen's donkey jackets of Britain and Ireland, and loggers' "cruising jackets" and Mackinaws in North America. There are two tiers of local government covering Melton Mowbray, at district and county level: Melton Borough Council and Leicestershire County Council . The borough council has its offices at Parkside on Burton Street in
774-595: A diminished rate compared with the British Rail era. Following the abolition of the BRBR, ownership of the track was transferred to the national railway infrastructure company Network Rail on 30 September 2013. During 2001, the Old Dalby Test Track was leased to the rolling stock manufacturer Alstom Transport , which electrified the former Down line using 25 kV AC OHLE at a reported cost of £25 million. As configured, it
860-427: A fire station, a police station, and a hospital that includes St Mary's Maternity Centre. The War Memorial Hospital off Ankle Hill, originally Wyndham Lodge, was donated to the town in 1920 by Colonel Richard Dalgliesh. It was sold in 2010 to help fund St Mary's Hospital. Melton Country Park provides green space. The town's secondary schools are Long Field Academy and John Ferneley College for pupils aged 11–16 and
946-466: A flight of three nuclear missiles from the base. Stilton cheese originated as a commercial venture developed to manufacture cheese for sale at the village of Stilton in Cambridgeshire , which has led to claims that the cheese itself originated outside that village. Historical evidence suggests an evolution of the cheese over many years, with some sourced from Melton Mowbray or surroundings. Stilton
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#17328525388811032-524: A further £2 billion was raised using bank loans, and £600 million from the European Investment Bank . The consortium awarded contracts to its own shareholders, for example rolling stock contracts were awarded to Bombardier Transportation . This closed shop supply chain approach was later criticised for causing high costs for the consortium. The bidding process was protracted by political factors, including public disagreements on
1118-468: A gym and fitness suite, as well as swimming. The library in Wilton Road is close to the town centre. Adjacent is Melton Theatre, part of Brooksby Melton College , on the junction with Asfordby Road. The theatre, first opened in 1976, was recently refurbished. In the past few years, it has produced ballet, opera and stage plays and provided a venue for bands and acts, pantomime and art shows. Melton has
1204-614: A mediaeval market which survived until 1921, and an annual fair of horses and cattle. Many buildings in Melton Market Place, Nottingham Street, Church Lane, King Street and Sherrard Street have ancient foundations. Alterations to No. 16 Church Street revealed a medieval circular stone wall subjected to considerable heat. This is probably the Manor Oven mentioned in 13th-century documents. Surveys of 5 King Street show it belonged to an early medieval open-halled house. It may have been part of
1290-568: A need to source more cheese from further afield, including the Melton region, and over time the modern blue cheese developed. Melton Mowbray pork pies are made by a specific "hand-raising" process and recipe. On 4 April 2008 the European Union awarded the Melton Mowbray pork pie Protected Geographical Indication status, after a long-standing application made by the Melton Mowbray Pork Pie Association . Only pies made in
1376-603: A point near milepost 114. The former Down line retains its 25 kV OHLE. Testing of the 'S' stock at Old Dalby commenced in March 2009 and was still underway seven years later. The public services group Serco was awarded the contract to manage the Old Dalby Test Track on behalf of Metronet, giving it the opportunity to attract other users. During April 2010, the track in use for the testing of Class 172 diesel multiple units, which were also manufactured by Bombardier in Derby. Network Rail uses
1462-472: A test track in May 1966, the Old Dalby Test Track has been involved in numerous projects, one early major initiative being British Rail Research Division 's Advanced Passenger Train project. In addition to its use by trains, various elements of line-side infrastructure, such as overhead line (OHLE) and signaling equipment, have also been tested on the line. During July 1984, a destructive full-scale integrity test of
1548-581: A total of nine Underground lines. To encourage high reliability rates, financial deductions were incurred for poor performance at twice the rate of increase in revenue for improved performance. The PPP arrangement was closely scrutinised by the British government; by early 2005, both the House of Commons Transport Select Committee and the Public Accounts Committee were criticising the opaque nature of
1634-527: Is home to Holwell Sports, which plays in the Leicestershire Senior League premier division. Leicestershire County Cricket Club played first-class cricket at Egerton Park in 1946–1948. There is a parkrun (held in the country every Saturday morning) and a junior parkrun (held in Play Close Park every Sunday morning). Metronet (British infrastructure company) Metronet Rail
1720-414: Is managed by East Midlands Railway , but most services are run by CrossCountry , which intends to enhance its service gradually to half-hourly on this route. Since early 2009, East Midlands Trains has offered a single daily journey from Melton Mowbray to London St Pancras and return. This is notable for being the first regular passenger service to cross the historic Welland Viaduct since 1966. In 2010,
1806-661: Is now a public house owned by Everards , a Leicester brewery. On 6 April 1837, the 3rd Marquess of Waterford and a hunting party went on a spree through Melton streets causing much damage, according to the London Examiner . Henry Alken 's pictures A Spree at Melton Mowbray and Larking at the Grantham Tollgate are said to illustrate this. They featured also in a play, The Meltonians , at The Theatre Royal, Drury Lane in 1838. The Corn Exchange in Nottingham Street
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#17328525388811892-636: Is still made in the town at the Tuxford & Tebbutt creamery, one of only six dairies licensed to do so. Makers in Cambridgeshire cannot call their cheese Stilton, even if it is made there. The earliest reference cited is Daniel Defoe , who in 1724 called the cheese he ate at Stilton "the English Parmesan ". Growth of business from travellers on the Great North Road and from sales to London led to
1978-698: Is the Norman family name of early Lords of the Manor – namely Robert de Mowbray . In and around Melton, there are 28 scheduled ancient monuments, some 705 buildings of special architectural or historical interest, 16 sites of special scientific interest, and several deserted village sites. Its industrial archaeology includes the Grantham Canal and remains of the Melton Mowbray Navigation . Windmill sites and signs of ironstone working and smelting suggest that
2064-580: Is titular, as the public face of the Town Estate on civic or ceremonial occasions. Melton Mowbray was a part of the Rutland and Melton seat until the dissolution of Parliament for the 2024 general election, at which Melton Borough became the largest component of the new Melton and Syston constituency. Melton Mowbray's 1,766 inhabitants in 1801 rose by 1831 to 3,327, by 1841 to 3,740, by 1851 to 4,434, and by 1861 to 4,436. Melton Mowbray's official web site listed
2150-520: The Department for Transport rejected claims that the PPP was to blame for the collapse of Metronet, and that it was "predominantly a corporate failure", with "structural weaknesses [that] led to its own downfall." In 2010, the House of Commons' Public Accounts Committee reprimanded the Department for Transport for its failure to heed National Audit Office warnings about the company's management. According to
2236-630: The House of Commons Public Accounts Committee , charged with ensuring value for money in public spending, published a report concluding that it was "impossible to determine" whether the PPP was better value than a publicly run investment programme. In April 2005, the Commissioner of Transport for London , Bob Kiley , pressed for an urgent review of the PPP, describing its performance as "bordering on disaster". TfL also said that new technology promised by Metronet had yet to be seen — "We were supposed to be getting private sector expertise and technology with
2322-523: The Melton Vale Post 16 Centre (MV16) for sixth-formers. Its primary schools are Brownlow, Grove, St Francis RC, St Mary's C of E, Sherard and Swallowdale. Birchwood Special School caters for pupils of primary and secondary-school age. Melton's largest school was the King Edward VII , which at one time had some 2,000 pupils aged 11–19. It was founded as a grammar school in 1910, became comprehensive in
2408-631: The National Audit Office estimated that the failure of the Metronet PPP contract cost the taxpayer up to £410 million, adding that "most of the blame for Metronet's collapse lay with the consortium itself." The company was wound up in December 2009. After TfL opted to buy out the Tube Lines consortium in 2010, all Underground infrastructure maintenance was thereafter managed in-house. During
2494-523: The Norman Conquest of 1066, shown by stone crosses at Asfordby and Sproxton and Anglo-Saxon cemeteries at Goadby Marwood, Sysonby and Stapleford. Melton Mowbray had six recorded crosses from several centuries: (i) Kettleby Cross near today's filling station near the junction of Dalby Road and Leicester Road, (ii) Sheep Cross at Spital End, now Nottingham Street/Park Road junction, (iii) Corn Cross at Swine Lane/Spittle End junction, remade and re-erected at
2580-490: The Office of Rail Regulation (ORR) over their performance from 2003 to 2006. In July 2007, the company admitted that it may have caused a Central Line train derailment near Mile End . Following financial difficulties, the company was placed in administration during July 2007. In May 2008, the company's responsibilities were transferred back into public ownership under the authority of Transport for London (TfL). In June 2009,
2666-587: The Rail Innovation and Development Centre (Melton) . During January 2014, Network Rail applied for changes to the original planning controls to increase train passes on the line substantially during weekdays, citing commissioning of the new Hitachi IEP stock based on the Javelin stock on High Speed 1 for the future electrification of the Great Western Main Line , these changes were presented as expanding
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2752-590: The River Eye , known below Melton as the Wreake . The town had a population of 27,670 in 2019. The town is sometimes promoted as Britain's "Rural Capital of Food"; it is the home of the Melton Mowbray pork pie and is the location of one of six licensed makers of Stilton cheese . The name comes from the early English word Medeltone – meaning 'Middletown surrounded by small hamlets' (as do Milton and Middleton). Mowbray
2838-782: The United Counties League Premier Division North, step five in the English Football Pyramid . Known as the Pork Pie Army, they play their home games at Melton Sports Village on a recently installed FIFA Pro Quality 3G pitch. The ground is currently sponsored by local firm Sign Right Creative and the club are coached by Player/Manager Tom Manship. Melton Rugby club competes in Counties 2 Midlands East(North) . The town has its own Sunday Football League, in which some 15 teams compete every Sunday. Asfordby Hill
2924-675: The 14th-century castle or fortified manor of the Mowbrays. King Richard I and King John visited the town and may have stayed at an earlier castle. In 1549, after the Dissolution of chantries, monasteries and religious guilds, church plate was sold and land bought for the town. Resulting rents were used to maintain Melton School , first recorded in 1347, making it one of the oldest in Britain. Funds were also used to maintain roads and bridges and repair
3010-644: The 18th century, are remembered in the names of Beckmill Court and Mill Street. Melton has thus been a market town for over 1,000 years. Recorded as Leicestershire's only market in the 1086 Domesday Survey , it is the third oldest market in England. Tuesday has been market day since royal approval was given in 1324. The market was founded with tolls before 1077. Legacies from the Middle Ages include consolidation of village and market-town patterns – in Melton Mowbray, Bottesford, Wymondham and Waltham-on-the-Wolds. The last had
3096-970: The 2009 population of the town as 25,276 and that of Melton Borough as 46,861. Before 1960, the Production Engineering Research Association of Great Britain came to Nottingham Road and employed about 400 people in supporting research and development in industry. It is also houses the East Midlands Manufacturing Advisory Service. The former East Midlands Regional Assembly was also based in Nottingham Road. Petfoods arrived in 1951 as Chappie Ltd, employing at its peak over 2,000. It still employs about 1,000. The firm changed its name to Petfoods in 1957, to Pedigree Petfoods in 1972, and to Masterfoods in January 2002. At Melton, it makes four million items of pet food
3182-619: The BCV (tube) lines contract involved the Bakerloo , Central , Victoria and Waterloo & City lines, while the SSL (sub-surface) lines contract covered Circle , District , East London , Hammersmith & City and Metropolitan lines. Separately, Tube Lines was awarded the contract for the other London Underground lines – Jubilee , Northern and Piccadilly . Both Metronet and Tube Lines were colloquially referred to as "infracos"; there
3268-453: The IEP programme was still ongoing at the track; some of these tests involved the novel use of balloons to intentionally obstruct ventilation shafts inside Stanton Tunnel. During summer 2017, an agreement was finalised for two railtours to be operated along the Old Dalby Test Track later that year; reportedly, spare paths on the test track are said to be scarce due to testing demands associated with
3354-506: The Maison Dieu almshouses opposite the Church in 1640, complementing the stone Anne of Cleves House opposite. This was built in 1384 and housed chantry priests until the Dissolution. It was then included in the estates of Anne of Cleves by Henry VIII , as a divorce settlement in the 16th century, although there is local debate about whether she ever stayed there. A Grade II* listed building, it
3440-623: The North & East Melton Mowbray Distributor Road, connecting the A606 and A607 with the aim of alleviating congestion in the town centre, began construction in spring 2023 and is expected to be completed by summer 2025. Melton Mowbray railway station , on the Birmingham to Stansted Airport line, also serves Leicester , Peterborough and Cambridge . Trains run hourly. The station offers peak-hour trains to and from Nottingham , Norwich and Sleaford . It
3526-763: The Nottingham St/High St junction in 1996 as a memorial to the Royal Army Veterinary Corps , (iv) Butter Cross or High Cross at the west end of Beast Market, again rebuilt from remains of an original Saxon cross in 1986–1987 in the Market Place, (v) Sage Cross at the East end of the Beast Market close to Saltgate, in Sherrard Street opposite Sage Cross Street, and (vi) Thorpe Cross at the end of Saltgate, near
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3612-628: The Old Dalby test track on behalf of Network Rail for the following four years. 52°48′32″N 0°59′36″W / 52.80889°N 0.99333°W / 52.80889; -0.99333 Melton Mowbray Melton Mowbray ( / ˈ m ɛ l t ən ˈ m oʊ b r i / ) is a market town in the Melton district in Leicestershire , England, 19 miles (31 km) north-east of Leicester and 20 miles (32 km) south-east of Nottingham . It lies on
3698-448: The PPP (Public Private Partnership) but instead they are just using the same old kit." One week later, the chief executive of Metronet was sacked, after complaints that the company had made £50 million profit despite being behind on all its major works. By April 2005, it had started work on only 13 station refurbishments, instead of 32 as scheduled, and was more than a year behind on the refurbishment of 78 District line trains . It
3784-421: The PPP as well as questioning the value for money in comparison to a publicly run investment programme. In August 2004, Metronet was declared at fault for a May 2004 derailment at White City . In April 2005, the chief executive of Metronet was sacked following complaints that it had made £50 million profit despite being behind on all its major works. During November 2006, Metronet were heavily criticised by
3870-562: The PPP came into force. Under the terms of the PPP contracts, Metronet agreed to maintain London Underground infrastructure (track, trains, tunnels, signals, and stations) to the standards and performance levels set in the contract. Furthermore, Metronet committed to delivering substantial improvements to the network, by refurbishing, upgrading and renewing track, trains, tunnels, signals, and stations. To encourage high reliability, deductions suffered for poor performance were set at twice
3956-402: The United Kingdom train-building market, the track was threatened with closure before being leased to Metronet in 2007 to test and commission London Underground S Stock trains being manufactured by Bombardier at Derby Litchurch Lane Works . The former Up line was equipped with approximately 4 km (2.5 mi) of London Underground-style conductor rails from Old Dalby (milepost 111) to
4042-569: The Vale of Belvoir and parts of Rushcliffe Borough. It can also be heard on the internet. When launched in 2005, it was the first in the UK to go on the air under the new tier of community radio, licensed by the broadcasting regulator OFCOM. The station has since won awards for its work. It is named after the local River Eye. The Stapleford Miniature Railway , built in 1958, is a private, steam-hauled passenger railway at Stapleford Park about 3 miles (5 km) to
4128-454: The borough of Melton. No successor parish was created for the former urban district. Melton Mowbray contains a rare example of early town government. The Melton Mowbray Town Estate was founded in 1549, during the Reformation, when two townsfolk sold silver and plate sequestered from the church and bought land to be held in trust for all inhabitants. It provided early forms of education and
4214-701: The building was passed after the Dissolution to Anne of Cleves as part of her divorce settlement. The town cinema, The Regal in King Street, occupies a purpose-built theatre complete with period interior design, sumptuous colours, winding staircases and fancy plasterwork. It re-opened in 2013 after refurbishment. Concerts have been held at the Carousel Bandstand in Melton Mowbray Park since August 1909. They take place on summer Sundays. Melton's radio station, 103 FM The Eye, broadcasts to Melton Borough and
4300-429: The church clock. During the English Civil War , Melton was a Roundhead garrison commanded by a Colonel Rossiter. Two battles were fought: in November 1643, Royalists caught the garrison unaware and carried away prisoners and booty; in February 1645, Sir Marmaduke Langdale , commanding a Royalist force of 1,500 men, inflicted severe losses on the Roundheads. Some 300 men were said to have been killed. Legend has it that
4386-406: The company introduced a single daily return journey to Derby . Arriva Midlands provide frequent buses to Leicester on service 5A. Centrebus are the main operator of bus services around the town, with some longer-distance routes operating to Syston , Grantham , Loughborough , and Oakham . The service to Nottingham was withdrawn in April 2022. Greyhound racing was held at a stadium on
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#17328525388814472-474: The east of Melton Mowbray. Famous for a fleet of steam locos and its scenic location, it attracts visitors and tourists for two public charity events each year. It has the same 10 + 1 ⁄ 4 in (260 mm) gauge as the Town Estates railway around Play Close Park in Melton. Also 1 ⁄ 2 mile (800 m) to the north-east of Melton is the Twinlakes Theme Park , with a range of family attractions and rides. The Waterfield Leisure Pools include
4558-421: The first street lighting, and still owns and keeps the town's parks, sports grounds and market. From its inception, the running of the Town Estate was undertaken by Town Wardens. In 1989, a new Scheme of Arrangement drawn up by the Charity Commission after public consultation transferred management to a body of 14 Feoffees , two of whom are known as Senior and Junior Town Warden. Nowadays the Town Warden position
4644-441: The hands of the public sector while the infrastructure (including the track, trains, tunnels, signals, and stations) would be leased to private firms for a 30 year period, during which they would enact various improvements. A public denial that the newly-formed railway infrastructure company Railtrack would be involved in the PPP was issued by the government after it was made clear that some parties would refuse to bid if it was. By
4730-425: The high volume of new rolling stock being acquired by various operators around this time. That same year, the local council suggested that the line could be reopened to passengers to allow a direct link between Nottingham and Melton Mowbray, as part of the Government's strategy to open up new areas for housing by recommissioning disused rail lines. During March 2021, it was announced that GB Railfreight shall operate
4816-467: The hillside where the battle was fought was ankle deep in blood, hence the name Ankle Hill . However, the name appears in documents from before the Civil War and the names of Dalby Road and Ankle Hill have been switched, so confusing the true site of the battle. Local notable families seem to have had divided loyalties, though the Civil War ended with rejoicings outside the Limes in Sherrard Street, home of Sir Henry Hudson. His father, Robert Hudson, founded
4902-440: The hunt, a preserved phone box, a buried Saxon, and shrapnel from World War II. The Melton Band, a traditional British-style brass band, can trace its directors back to 1856, and was until recently called Melton Borough Band. The colourful Melton Mowbray Toy Soldiers Marching Band was formed in 1936. Happy Jazz – a Dixieland jazz band – had its headquarters in the town in 1996–2014. The Melton Mowbray Tally Ho Band formed in 1936 and
4988-510: The junction of Thorpe Road and Saxby Road. The original crosses were removed or destroyed during the Reformation and other iconoclastic periods, or to make room for traffic or other development. The effects of the Norman Conquest recorded in the 1086 Domesday Book show that settlements at Long Clawson and Bottesford were of noteworthy size, and that Melton Mowbray a thriving market town of some 200 inhabitants, with weekly markets, two water mills and two priests. The mills, still in use up to
5074-608: The late 1960s, and closed after reaching its centenary. Brooksby Melton College provides vocational, further and higher education in a wide range of subjects at a campus in Asfordby Road and at its Brooksby campus 6 miles (10 km) out of town. Local news and television programmes are provided by BBC East Midlands and ITV Central . Television signals are received from the nearby Waltham TV transmitter. Local radio stations are BBC Radio Leicester on 104.9 FM, Smooth East Midlands on 106.6 FM, Capital Midlands on 96.2 FM, Greatest Hits Radio Midlands on 106.0 FM, and The Eye ,
5160-415: The line's testing capabilities even further. In 2013, planned activities for Old Dalby included the testing of Thales ' automatic train control system for London Underground, and new mainline infrastructure such as the Series One OCS system by Network Rail. During early 2015, testing of the first British Rail Class 800 high speed train took place at the track. Two years later, some high-speed testing for
5246-422: The mid 1990s, the Conservative government conducted a deep exploration of various options for involving the private sector in the operations of the London Underground . These options included its complete privatisation, akin to that of British Rail . This option was publicly opposed by the Labour Party , who stated in their New Labour, New Life for Britain manifesto for the upcoming general election that
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#17328525388815332-482: The mid-1990s, the Old Dalby Test Track became the property of BRB (Residuary) Limited , a specially-created body established to own former BR assets that were not sold off or assigned to other entities. During the following two decades, the track was leased for a peppercorn rent to various companies, including Serco , Alstom , and Metronet (British infrastructure company) (LUL). However, according to industry periodical Rail , testing activity at Old Dalby proceeded at
5418-485: The mixed brass and woodwind Tornado Brass in the 1980s. Some of Melton's many pubs, such as the Generous Britain or Jenny B , continue to encourage live music. The Noels Arms free house was Melton Mowbray District CAMRA Pub of the Year in 2014 and was also briefly home to Gasdog Brewery. One of Melton's oldest surviving pubs, with features from the early fourteenth century, is the Anne of Cleves in Burton Street, close to St Mary's Church; once home to chantry monks,
5504-430: The north side of Saxby Road in 1946–1969. Motorcycle speedway racing was held at the Greyhound Stadium in 1949–1950. The cinder track was laid before and lifted after each meeting. The events, staged on a Sunday, were opposed by the Lord's Day Observance Society for a short time. The stadium was also the venue for a few meetings in 1950 when the Melton Lions faced select teams. Melton Town Football Club competes in
5590-452: The privatisation era, Old Dalby has been leased out to various companies, including Serco , Alstom , and Metronet to conduct testing. Alstom electrified the former Down line using 25 kV AC OHLE at a reported cost of £25 million, and reinstated a six-mile portion of the Up line, to support its activities. During the 2010s, there was public speculation that the test track could form part of a direct link between Nottingham and Melton Mowbray for
5676-495: The prospective PPPs, was put in charge of the process. Kiley was also empowered to revise the terms of the prospective contracts; he promptly produced updated briefs for the PPPs, a move which thus necessitated the submission of revised bids. During May 2001, it was announced that both Metronet and Tube Lines had been selected as the preferred consortiums. Metronet emerged as the successful bidder for two 30-year contracts, covering various tube and sub-surface lines; specifically,
5762-436: The purpose of re-introducing a passenger service. The Old Dalby Test Track has its origins in the Beeching cuts , which saw the intentional rundown of the Midland Railway 's main line, cumulating in its closure during the majority of traffic during 1966. As early as May 1966, a portion of the infrastructure between Melton Mowbray and Edwalton began to be used for testing purposes by British Rail Research Division and thus
5848-454: The rate of increase in revenue for improved performance. At a cost of £7 billion, Metronet promised substantial investment during the first 7.5 years of the contract (2003 to 2010): In June 2004, the National Audit Office criticised the complexity of the PPP deals, noting they offered "the prospect, but not the certainty" of improvements. In August 2004, Metronet was declared at fault by an accident investigators' report into
5934-447: The report from the Public Accounts Committee, around £170 million to £410m of taxpayer money was lost due to the failure of Metronet. The companies involved in the consortium collectively lost around £350 million in the collapse. In May 2010, it was announced that TfL would buy out the Tube Lines consortium, formally ending the PPP. Commentators blamed the complex and "onerous" contracts for its failure. Combined with
6020-476: The scarp of the Vale of Belvoir linking Market Harborough to Belvoir, and south to Oakham and Stamford . Evidence of settlement in the Anglo-Saxon and 8th–9th-century Danelaw periods shows in place names. Along the Wreake Valley, the Danish suffix "-by" is common, e.g. in Asfordby, Dalby, Frisby, Hoby, Rearsby and Gaddesby. A cemetery of 50–60 graves of pagan Anglo-Saxon origin has been found in Melton Mowbray. Most villages and their churches had origins before
6106-440: The site was densely populated in the Bronze and Iron Ages. Many small communities existed and strategic points at Burrough Hill and Belvoir were fortified. In Roman times, Melton benefited from proximity to the Fosse Way and other major Roman roads, and to military centres at Leicester and Lincoln. Intermediate camps were established, for example, at Six Hills on the Fosse Way. Other Roman trackways passed north of Melton along
6192-502: The sub-surface lines. On 27 May 2008, Metronet came out of administration, and its contracts and employees were transferred to TfL under two new temporary companies, LUL Nominee BCV Ltd and LUL Nominee SSL Ltd. On 3 December 2009, the PPP business of Metronet Rail became an integral part of London Underground. Some of the improvements promised by Metronet were delivered (such as new 2009 Stock and S Stock trains), however other improvements were cancelled or delayed. During early 2008,
6278-466: The topic of PPPs between then- Mayor of London Ken Livingstone and Deputy Prime Minister Jon Prescott . Furthermore, in the aftermath of the Hatfield rail crash , there was a climate of both public and political skepticism in the involvement of the private sector in transport infrastructure. During early 2001, Bob Kiley , the first commissioner of Transport for London (TfL) and an outspoken critic of
6364-528: The town. Melton Mowbray was an ancient parish . The parish was made a local government district in 1860, governed by a local board. Such districts were reconstituted as urban districts in 1894. In 1929 the Melton Mowbray Urban District Council bought Egerton Lodge to serve as its offices and meeting place. Melton Mowbray Urban District was abolished in 1974, merging with the surrounding Melton and Belvoir Rural District to become
6450-482: The track on an ongoing basis for calibration and testing of measurement and gauging trains; other testing includes the Technical Specification for Interoperability (TSI) high-speed noise compliance, electromagnetic compatibility, wheel slide protection, coupling compatibility, surge pressure in tunnels, low adhesion, and new technology trials and demonstrators. The organisation officially refers to Old Dalby as
6536-459: The track was kept from the public and security measures were present against uninvited intrusions, neither journalists or enthusiasts were typically allowed to view the Research Division's activities outside of rare invitations. On 17 July 1984, the track was used to test the integrity of flasks used to transport nuclear fuel elements by rail. A Class 46 diesel locomotive (No. 46009), weighing 138 long tons (140 tonnes) and pulling three carriages ,
6622-460: The turn of the century, senior figures within the government was strongly advocating for the implementation of these PPPs. Metronet was founded in 1999 as a consortium of companies to bid for PPP contracts. The equal shareholders in the venture were Atkins , Balfour Beatty , Adtranz (later Bombardier Transportation ), SEEBOARD (later EDF Energy ), and Thames Water . To pay for the works, each company provided £70 million of equity;
6708-518: The wholesale privatisation of the Underground was not the answer and proposed the use of a public-private partnership (PPP) arrangement instead. Following the election, the new Labour government promptly began work on setting up PPPs, stating that this would address the perceived period of underinvestment in the Underground. The selected model called for the operation of services on the Tube to remain in
6794-622: The £551 million that was needed to cover cost over-runs. By contrast, Tube Lines , the other PPP consortium, had brought in almost all of its works on time and on budget. On 18 July 2007, the company was placed into administration . To enable its business activities to be kept going while the winding-up of the company was in progress, the British Government provided Metronet with £2 billion in 2008. Following negotiations with Bombardier, Metronet modified contracts to allow for continued delivery of 2009 Stock and S Stock trains, while releasing Bombardier from its obligation to resignal
6880-701: Was also behind on its track replacement programme, having completed 28 km of the anticipated 48 km. During November 2006, Metronet were heavily criticised by the arbiter of the PPP, the Office of Rail Regulation (ORR) over their performance from 2003 to 2006. Specific analysis included the finding that Metronet had not performed in an economic or efficient manner, and had failed to follow good industry practice. The ORR also stated that Metronet would be held responsible for £750 million in cost overruns. The other PPP consortium, Tube Lines , noted that they were delivering projects on time and on budget. In July 2007, Metronet admitted that it may have caused
6966-435: Was an asset-management company responsible for the maintenance, renewal and upgrade of the infrastructure, including track, trains, signals, civils work and stations, on several London Underground lines. It was one of two infrastructure companies (the other being Tube Lines Ltd ) in a public-private partnership (PPP) with the Underground. Metronet was founded in 1999 as a consortium of several private companies to bid for
7052-476: Was completed in 1854. In 1942–1964, RAF Melton Mowbray lay to the south towards Great Dalby . The Class A airfield had been intended for aircraft maintenance, but was taken over by RAF Transport Command . In 1946–1958, it was used as a displaced persons camp by the Polish Resettlement Corps . Melton Mowbray served as a Thor strategic missile site in 1958–1963, when 254(SM) Squadron operated
7138-428: Was intentionally crashed at about 100 miles per hour (160 km/h) into a pre-arranged, derailed, flask-carrying wagon. Witnessed by roughly 1,500 people, the behaviour of the flask was monitored in detail and the observations used to validate numerical modelling of flasks subjected to impact loading. A photographic record is available, as well as a video. As a consequence of the privatisation of Britain's railways in
7224-470: Was repeated speculation that the two companies planned to merge. Contracts valued at around £17 billion over the 30-year period were issued, under which these companies received around £660 million each month from the Government, although this amount was subject to reductions if targets are not met. In April 2003, Metronet began to maintain, upgrade and renew London Underground infrastructure as
7310-565: Was retained. Following the line's full closure as a through route in 1968, work was undertaken to convert this roughly eight-mile section into a dedicated test track; during September 1970, with the modifications complete, it was re-opened and promptly put to use for the Research Division's Advanced Passenger Train APT-E project. The Old Dalby Test Track saw extensive use in the heyday of the Research Division, frequently being used for pantograph development and overhead line (OHLE) testing. Activity on
7396-553: Was used to test and commission the Class 390 Pendolino trains that were later operated on the West Coast Main Line . It was on this track that the type first attained a recorded speed of 100 MPH. Alstom also re-instated six miles of the former Up line from Old Dalby to the southern portal of Stanton Tunnel to test and commission the proposed European Rail Traffic Management System system for Network Rail. When Alstom withdrew from
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