Why do the wires stop 5 miles south of Leicester?

In this video I look at the endless saga of electrification of the Midland Mainline and how it currently sits in 2026. The Midland Mainline has been called the "forgotten child" of the UK rail network. After decades of "on-again, off-again" plans, the overhead wires have finally arrived, only to stop dead in the middle of a field south of Leicester. In today’s video, I’m exploring South Wigston to find the exact point where the electrification program has been paused yet again and asking: why here? From the "Electric Spine" dreams of 2012 to the recent 2025 funding cuts, the journey to electrify the line from London to Sheffield has been a rollercoaster of government promises and U-turns. I take a look at the massive engineering challenges keeping the wires out of Leicester, including: The Bridge Bottlenecks: Why bridges like Station Road (B582) and School Road in Kibworth are multi-million pound headaches. Track Lowering vs. Bridge Raising: The sheer cost of fitting 25kV lines under Victorian infrastructure. The Aurora Dilemma: Watching the new EMR Class 810 Auroras running on diesel despite being under active wires. Rail History: A look at the former Wigston Magna station and the "Midland Cottages." What do you think of the decision to pause the funding? Is the Midland Mainline being unfairly treated compared to the East and West Coast lines? Let me know in the comments! #MidlandMainline #Railways #UKTrains #Electrification #SouthWigston #EMR #NetworkRail #Trainspotting #Infrastructure Join this channel to show your support and get my never ending thanks:    / @backpack-travels-uk   or buy me a one-off coffee here: https://ko-fi.com/backpacktravels