West Coast Main Line

"WCML" redirects here. For other uses, see WCML (disambiguation). For other railway lines, see West Coast Line (disambiguation).

West Coast Main Line
The West Coast Main Line running alongside the M1 motorway at Watford Gap
Overview
Status	Operational
Owner	Network Rail
Locale	Greater London South East England West Midlands North West England Scotland
Termini	Glasgow Central London Euston
Stations	46
Service
Type	Inter-city rail high-speed rail freight rail
System	National Rail
Operator(s)	Passenger: Avanti West Coast Caledonian Sleeper CrossCountry Northern Trains ScotRail Southern TransPennine Express Transport for Wales Rail West Midlands Trains Freight: DB Cargo UK Direct Rail Services Freightliner GB Railfreight
History
Opened	1837–1881
Technical
Line length	399 mi (642 km)
Number of tracks	Two, four or six
Track gauge	4 ft 8 1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge
Loading gauge	W10
Electrification	Overhead line, 25 kV 50 Hz AC
Operating speed	110 or 125 mph (180 or 200 km/h)
Route map (Click to expand) Edinburgh Waverley ( St Andrew Sq.) Haymarket Glasgow Central ( St Enoch) Motherwell Carstairs Carstairs South Junction Lockerbie Scotland England Carlisle Penrith Oxenholme Lake District for Windermere Lancaster Preston for Blackpool North Euxton Junction Bolton Wigan North Western Warrington Bank Quay Liverpool Lime Street Liverpool South Parkway Runcorn Weaver Junction Manchester Piccadilly Stockport Holyhead for Dublin Port Wales England Chester Cheadle Hulme Junction Crewe North Junction North Wales Coast Line Crewe Macclesfield Stoke-on-Trent Stone Junction Norton Bridge Junction Stafford Stafford South Junction Colwich Junction Wolverhampton Lichfield Trent Valley Cross-City Line Birmingham New Street Tamworth Cross Country Route Birmingham International Nuneaton Coventry Rugby Trent Valley Junction Rugby Hillmorton Junction Northampton Hanslope Junction Milton Keynes Central Watford Junction London Euston All routes shown. A detailed diagram of the core route can be found at West Coast Main Line diagram.

The West Coast Main Line (WCML) is one of the most important railway corridors in the United Kingdom, connecting the major cities of London and Glasgow with branches to Birmingham, Manchester, Liverpool and Edinburgh. It is one of the busiest mixed-traffic railway routes in Europe, carrying a mixture of intercity rail, regional rail, commuter rail and rail freight traffic. The core route of the WCML runs from London to Glasgow for 400 miles (644 km) and was opened from 1837 to 1881. With additional lines deviating to Northampton, Birmingham, Manchester, Liverpool and Edinburgh, this totals a route mileage of 700 miles (1,127 km). The Glasgow–Edinburgh via Carstairs line connects the WCML to Edinburgh. However, the main London–Edinburgh route is the East Coast Main Line. Several sections of the WCML form part of the suburban railway systems in London, Coventry, Birmingham, Manchester, Liverpool and Glasgow, with many more smaller commuter stations, as well as providing links to more rural towns.

It is one of the busiest freight routes in Europe, carrying 40% of all UK rail freight traffic. The line is the principal rail freight corridor linking the European mainland (via the Channel Tunnel) through London and South East England to the West Midlands, North West England and Scotland. The line has been declared a strategic European route and designated a priority Trans-European Networks (TENS) route. A number of railway writers refer to it as "The Premier line".

The WCML was not originally conceived as a single route, but was built as a patchwork of local lines which were linked together, built by various companies, the largest of which amalgamated in 1846 to create the London and North Western Railway (LNWR), which then gradually absorbed most of the others; the exceptions were the Caledonian Railway in Scotland, and the North Staffordshire Railway (NSR) which both remained independent until 1923. The core route was mostly built between the 1830s and 1850s, but several cut-off routes and branches were built in later decades. In 1923, the entire route came under the ownership of the London, Midland and Scottish Railway (LMS) when the railway companies were grouped under the Railways Act 1921. The LMS itself was nationalised in 1947 to form part of British Railways (BR).

As the WCML is the most important long-distance railway trunk route in the UK, BR carried out an extensive programme of modernisation of it between the late 1950s and early 1970s, which included full overhead electrification of the route, and the introduction of modern intercity passenger services at speeds of up to 110 mph (177 km/h). Further abortive modernisation schemes were proposed, including the introduction of the Advanced Passenger Train (APT) in the 1980s; an ill-fated high speed train which used tilting technology, which was required to allow faster speeds on the curving route, and the abortive InterCity 250 project in the early-1990s. Further modernisation of the route finally occurred during the 2000s in the period of privatisation, which saw speeds raised further to 125 mph (201 km/h) and the introduction of tilting Class 390 Pendolino trains.

As much of the line has a maximum speed of 125 mph (201 km/h), it meets the European Union's definition of an upgraded high-speed line, although only Class 390 Pendolinos and Class 221 Super Voyagers with tilting mechanisms operated by Avanti West Coast travel at that speed. Non-tilting trains are limited to 110 mph (177 km/h).

Geography

The northern WCML as it weaves through the Lune Gorge in Cumbria alongside the M6

The spine between London Euston and Glasgow Central is 399 miles (642 km) long, with principal InterCity stations at Watford Junction, Milton Keynes Central, Rugby, Stafford, Crewe, Warrington Bank Quay, Wigan North Western, Preston, Lancaster, Oxenholme Lake District, Penrith and Carlisle.

The spine has bypasses serving the major towns and cities of Northampton, Coventry, Birmingham and Wolverhampton. Spurs serve Stoke-on-Trent, Macclesfield, Stockport, Manchester, Runcorn and Liverpool. There is also a branch to Edinburgh, at Carstairs in Scotland which is not the most direct route between London and Edinburgh. It provides a direct connection between the WCML and the East Coast Main Line.

Originally, the lines between Rugby, Birmingham and Stafford were part of the main spine, until the Trent Valley Line was built in 1847. This line formed a direct connection between Rugby and Stafford becoming the a part of the spine. South of Rugby, there is a bypass loop that serves Northampton. There is a spur at Weaver Junction north of Crewe to Liverpool. Weaver Junction on this branch is the oldest flyover-type junction in Britain. A spur branches off from Crewe to serve Manchester. There is also a spur between Colwich Junction in the Trent Valley, south of Stafford to Stoke-on-Trent, with another spur north of Stafford, also to Stoke-on-Trent.

The geography of the route was determined by avoiding large estates and hilly areas, such as the Chilterns (Tring Cutting); the Watford Gap and Northampton uplands, followed by the Trent Valley; the mountains of Cumbria, with a summit at Shap; and Beattock Summit in South Lanarkshire. This legacy means the WCML has limitations as a long-distance main line, with lower maximum speeds than the East Coast Main Line (ECML) route, the other main line between London and Scotland. The principal solution has been the adoption of tilting trains, initially with British Rail's APT and latterly the Class 390 Pendolino trains constructed by Alstom and introduced by Virgin Trains in 2003. A 'conventional' attempt to raise line speeds as part of the InterCity 250 upgrade in the 1990s would have relaxed maximum cant levels on curves and seen some track realignments; this scheme faltered for lack of funding in the economic climate of the time.

History

Pre-grouping, 1837–1923

The early history of the WCML is complex, as it was not originally conceived as a single trunk route, but was built as a patchwork of separate lines by different companies, mostly during the 1830s and 1840s, but some parts were opened as late as the 1880s. After the completion of the pioneering Liverpool and Manchester Railway in 1830, schemes were mooted to build more inter-city lines. The business practice of the early railway era was for companies to promote individual lines between two destinations, rather than to plan grand networks of lines, as it was considered easier to obtain backing from investors.

The first stretch of what is now the WCML was the Grand Junction Railway connecting the Liverpool and Manchester Railway to Birmingham, via Warrington, Crewe, Stafford and Wolverhampton, opening in 1837. The following year the London and Birmingham Railway was completed, connecting to the capital via Coventry, Rugby and the Watford Gap. The Grand Junction and London and Birmingham railways shared a Birmingham terminus at Curzon Street station, so that it was now possible to travel by train between London, Birmingham, Manchester and Liverpool.

3020 Cornwall, an early LNWR express locomotive (built 1847, as pictured circa 1890)

These lines, together with the Trent Valley Railway (between Rugby and Stafford, avoiding Birmingham) and the Manchester and Birmingham Railway (Crewe–Manchester), amalgamated operations in 1846 to form the London and North Western Railway (LNWR). Three other companies, the North Union Railway (Parkside–Wigan–Preston), the Lancaster and Preston Junction Railway and the Lancaster and Carlisle Railway, completed a through route to Carlisle by the end of 1846, these were later absorbed by the LNWR.

North of Carlisle, the Caledonian Railway remained independent, and opened its main line from Carlisle to Beattock on 10 September 1847, connecting to Edinburgh in February 1848, and to Glasgow in November 1849.

Another important section, the North Staffordshire Railway (NSR), which opened its route in 1848 from Macclesfield (connecting with the LNWR from Manchester) to Stafford and Colwich Junction via Stoke-on-Trent, also remained independent. The NSR provided a useful alternative route to Manchester, however poor relations between the LNWR and the NSR meant that through trains did not run until 1867.

The route to Scotland was marketed by the LNWR as 'The Premier Line'. Because the cross-border trains ran over the LNWR and Caledonian Railway, through trains consisted of jointly owned "West Coast Joint Stock" to simplify operations. The first direct London to Glasgow trains in the 1850s took 12.5 hours to complete the 400-mile (640 km) journey.

The final sections of what is now the WCML were put in place over the following decades. A direct branch to Liverpool, bypassing the earlier Liverpool and Manchester line, was opened in 1869, from Weaver Junction north of Crewe to Ditton Junction via the Runcorn Railway Bridge over the River Mersey.

At the northern end, the Caledonian replaced its original Southside terminus in Glasgow, with the much larger and better located Glasgow Central in 1879.

To expand capacity, the line between London and Rugby was widened to four tracks in the 1870s. As part of this work, a new line, the Northampton Loop, was built, opening in 1881, connecting Northampton before rejoining the main line at Rugby.

The worst-ever rail accident in UK history, the Quintinshill rail disaster, occurred on the WCML during World War I, on 22 May 1915, between Glasgow Central and Carlisle, in which 227 were killed and 246 injured.

LMS, 1923–1948

The Coronation Scot in 1937, hauled by a streamlined Coronation Class locomotive

The entire route came under the control of the London, Midland and Scottish Railway (LMS) on 1 January 1923 when the railway companies were grouped, under the Railways Act 1921.

The LMS competed fiercely with the rival LNER's East Coast Main Line for London to Scotland traffic (see Race to the North). Attempts were made to minimise end-to-end journey times for a small number of powerful lightweight trains that could be marketed as glamorous premium crack expresses, especially between London and Glasgow, such as the 1937–39 Coronation Scot, hauled by streamlined Princess Coronation Class locomotives, which made the journey in 6 hours 30 minutes, making it competitive with the rival East Coast Flying Scotsman (British Railways in the 1950s could not match this, but did achieve a London-Glasgow timing of 7 hours 15 minutes in the 1959–60 timetable by strictly limiting the number of coaches to eight and not stopping between London and Carlisle.)

British Rail, 1948–1997

In 1948, following nationalisation, the line came under the control of British Railways' London Midland and Scottish Regions, when the term "West Coast Main Line" came into use officially, although it had been used informally since at least 1912.

Modernisation by British Rail

A train headed by a Class 85 electric locomotive at Euston in 1966, shortly after the introduction of electric train services on the WCML

As part of the 1955 modernisation plan, British Rail carried out a large programme of modernisation of the WCML in stages between 1959 and 1974; the modernisation involved upgrading the track and signaling to allow higher speeds, rebuilding a number of stations, and electrification of the route with overhead line equipment. The first stretch to be upgraded and electrified was Crewe to Manchester, completed on 12 September 1960. This was followed by Crewe to Liverpool, completed on 1 January 1962. Electrification was then extended south to London. The first electric trains from London ran on 12 November 1965, with a full public service to Manchester and Liverpool launched on 18 April 1966. Electrification of both the Birmingham branch, and the routes to Manchester via Stoke-on-Trent was completed on 6 March 1967, allowing electric services to commence to those destinations. In March 1970 the government approved electrification of the northern half of the WCML, between Weaver Junction (where the branch to Liverpool diverges) and Glasgow, and this was completed on 6 May 1974. The announcement, after five years of uncertainty, was made 48 hours before the writ was issued for a by-election in South Ayrshire. The Observer commented that, if the £25 million decision was politically rather than financially motivated, it would have the makings of a major political scandal.

A new set of high-speed long-distance services was introduced in 1966, launching British Rail's highly successful "Inter-City" brand (the hyphen was later dropped) and offering journey times as London to Birmingham in 1 hour 35 minutes, and London to Manchester or Liverpool in 2 hours 40 minutes (and even 2 hours 30 minutes for the twice-daily Manchester Pullman). This represented a big improvement on the 3 hours 30 minutes to Manchester and Liverpool of the fastest steam service. A new feature was that these fast trains were offered on a regular-interval service throughout the day: initially hourly to Birmingham, two-hourly to Manchester, and so on. The service proved to be so popular that in 1972 these InterCity service frequencies were doubled to deal with increased demand. With the completion of the northern electrification in 1974, London to Glasgow journey times were reduced from 6 hours to 5.

BR Class 87 electric locomotive, 87020 in BR blue livery with a train of Mark 2 coaches. These, along with the similar Class 86 formed the backbone of express passenger services on the WCML from the 1970s until the 2000s.

Along with electrification came modern coaches such as the Mark 2 and from 1974 the fully integral, air-conditioned Mark 3 design. These remained the mainstay of express services until the early 2000s. Line speeds were raised to a maximum 110 mph (180 km/h), and these trains, hauled by Class 86 and Class 87 electric locomotives, came to be seen as BR's flagship passenger service. Passenger traffic on the WCML doubled between 1962 and 1975.

The modernisation also saw the demolition and redevelopment of several of the key stations on the line: BR was keen to symbolise the coming of the "electric age" by replacing the Victorian-era buildings with new structures built from glass and concrete. Notable examples were Birmingham New Street, Manchester Piccadilly, Stafford, Coventry and London Euston. To enable the latter, the famous Doric Arch portal into the original Philip Hardwick-designed terminus was demolished in 1962 amid much public outcry.

Electrification of the Edinburgh branch was carried out in the late 1980s as part of the East Coast Main Line electrification project in order to allow InterCity 225 sets to access Glasgow via Carstairs Junction.

The Advanced Passenger Train, British Rail's ill-fated tilting train, seen here next to the WCML at Crewe Heritage Centre

Modernisation brought great improvements in speed and frequency. However some locations and lines were no longer served by through trains or through coaches from London, such as: Windermere; Barrow-in-Furness, Whitehaven and Workington; Huddersfield, Bradford Interchange, Leeds and Halifax (via Stockport); Blackpool South; Colne (via Stockport); Morecambe and Heysham; Southport (via Edge Hill); Blackburn and Stranraer Harbour. Notable also is the loss of through services between Liverpool and Scotland; however these were restored by TransPennine Express in 2019.

British Rail introduced the Advanced Passenger Train APT project, which proved that London–Glasgow WCML journey times of less than 4 hours were achievable and paved the way for the later tilting Virgin Pendolino trains.

In the late 1980s, British Rail put forward a track realignment scheme to raise speeds on the WCML; a proposed project called InterCity 250, which entailed realigning parts of the line in order to increase curve radii and smooth gradients in order to facilitate higher-speed running. The scheme, which would have seen the introduction of new rolling stock derived from that developed for the East Coast electrification, was scrapped in 1992.

Privatisation, 1997–present

As part of the privatisation of British Rail in the 1990s, the infrastructure was taken over in 1994 by the private company Railtrack, which later collapsed in 2002, and was replaced by the not-for-profit company Network Rail. WCML's InterCity services became part of the InterCity West Coast franchise, which was won by Virgin Trains who took over in 1997. In 2019, Avanti West Coast won the new West Coast Partnership franchise, taking over from Virgin Trains.

Modernisation by Railtrack and Network Rail

Main article: West Coast Main Line route modernisation

A tilting Class 390 Pendolino on the WCML (introduced since 2002)

By the dawn of the 1990s, it was clear that further modernisation was required. Initially this took the form of the InterCity 250 project.

The modernisation plan unveiled by Virgin and the new infrastructure owner Railtrack involved the upgrade and renewal of the line to allow the use of tilting Pendolino trains with a maximum line speed of 140 mph (225 km/h), in place of the previous maximum of 110 mph (177 km/h). Railtrack estimated that this upgrade would cost £2 billion, be ready by 2005, and cut journey times to 1 hour for London to Birmingham and 1 hr 45 mins for London to Manchester.

However, these plans proved too ambitious and were subsequently scaled back. The upgrade was described as "a classic example of disastrous project management". Central to the implementation of the plan was the adoption of moving block signalling, which had never been proven on anything more than simple metro lines and light rail systems – not on a complex high-speed heavy-rail network such as the WCML. Despite this, Railtrack made what would prove to be the fatal mistake of not properly assessing the technical viability and cost of implementing moving block prior to promising the speed increase to Virgin and the government. By 1999, with little headway on the modernisation project made, it became apparent to engineers that the technology was not mature enough to be used on the line. The bankruptcy of Railtrack in 2001 and its replacement by Network Rail following the Hatfield crash brought a reappraisal of the plans, while the cost of the upgrade soared. Following fears that cost overruns on the project would push the final price tag to £13 billion, the plans were scaled down, bringing the cost down to between £8 billion and £10 billion, to be ready by 2008, with a maximum speed for tilting trains of a more modest 125 mph (201 km/h) – equalling the speeds available on the East Coast route, but some way short of the original target, and even further behind BR's original vision of 155 mph (250 km/h) speeds planned and achieved with the APT.

A Virgin Pendolino and EWS Class 66 freight train on the WCML

The first phase of the upgrade, south of Manchester, opened on 27 September 2004 with journey times of 1 hour 21 minutes for London to Birmingham and 2 hours 6 minutes for London to Manchester. The final phase, introducing 125 mph (201 km/h) running along most of the line, was announced as opening on 12 December 2005, bringing the fastest journey between London and Glasgow to 4 hours 25 mins (down from 5 hours 10 minutes). However, considerable work remained, such as the quadrupling of the track in the Trent Valley, upgrading the slow lines, the second phase of remodelling Nuneaton, and the remodelling of Stafford, Rugby, Milton Keynes and Coventry stations, and these were completed in late 2008. The upgrading of the Crewe–Manchester line via Wilmslow was completed in summer 2006.

In September 2006, a new speed record was set on the WCML – a Pendolino train completed the 401-mile (645 km) Glasgow Central – London Euston run in a record 3 hours 55 minutes, beating the APT's record of 4 hours 15 minutes, although the APT still holds the overall record on the northbound run.

An Avanti West Coast Class 390 Pendolino tilting into a corner on the northern part of the WCML. The tilting mechanism allows higher speeds to be attained on the curving route

The decade-long modernisation project was finally completed in December 2008. This allowed Virgin's VHF (very high frequency) timetable to be progressively introduced through early 2009, the highlights of which are a three-trains-per-hour service to both Birmingham and Manchester during off-peak periods, and nearly all London-Scottish timings brought under the 4 hours 30 minutes barrier – with one service (calling only at Preston) achieving a London–Glasgow time of 4 hours 8 minutes.

Some projects that were removed from the modernisation as a result of the de-scoping, such as a flyover at Norton Bridge station, were later restarted. A £250 million project to grade-separate the tracks at Norton Bridge that allowed for increased service frequency as well as improved line-speeds was completed in spring 2016. Other projects such as the replacement of a weak bridge in Watford allowed line-speeds to be increased from 90 mph (145 km/h) to 125 mph (201 km/h), decreasing journey times.

Infrastructure

Track

Quadruple track section of line at Roade cutting in Northamptonshire – lines have already divided south of here and diverge a little further north

The main spine of the WCML is quadruple track almost all of the route from London to south of Winsford. At Hanslope Junction (near Milton Keynes), the line divides with one pair going direct to Rugby and the other pair diverting via Northampton to rejoin at Rugby. The spine continues north in quadruple track until Brinklow, where it reduces to triple track. The line between Brinklow and Nuneaton has three tracks, with one northbound track and fast and slow southbound tracks. The line then reverts to quadruple track at Nuneaton. North of Rugeley, there is a short double track stretch through the 777-yard (710 m) Shugborough Tunnel. The line is then quadruple track most of the way to Acton Bridge railway station, except for a double track section between Winsford and Hartford. The line is double track from Acton Bridge railway station to Weaver Junction (where a double track spur to Liverpool branches off). The line is double track from Weaver Junction to Warrington Bank Quay, but the line is quadruple track between Warrington Bank Quay to Wigan North Western. At Newton-le-Willows, the slow tracks join the Liverpool to Manchester line to pass through the centre of the town, while the fast tracks take the direct route via the Golborne cut-off. There are two more stretches of quadruple track, otherwise the line is double track to Scotland. The first is from Euxton Balshaw Lane to Preston, and the second is a busy section around Glasgow.

The WCML is noted for the diversity of branches served from the spine, notably those to/from the West Midlands and North Wales, Greater Manchester, and Liverpool. These are detailed in the route diagram.

The complete route has been cleared for W10 loading gauge freight traffic, allowing use of higher 9 ft 6 in (2,896 mm) hi-cube shipping containers. The route passes through Nuneaton and the Midlands and this area has been called the "Golden Triangle of Logistics".

Electrification

Nearly all of the WCML is electrified with overhead line equipment at 25 kV AC. Several of the formerly unelectrified branches of the WCML in the North West have recently been electrified such as the Preston to Blackpool North Line on which electric service commenced in May 2018 along with the Preston – Manchester Piccadilly line which saw electric service commence in February 2019. Wigan to Liverpool via St Helens Shaw Street and St Helens Junction were also electrified in the 2010-2017 timeframe.

The Wigan North Western to Lostock Parkway branch is also in the process of being electrified.

Rolling stock

The majority of stock used on the West Coast Main Line is new-build, part of Virgin's initial franchise agreement having been a commitment to introduce a brand-new fleet of tilting Class 390 "Pendolino" trains for long-distance high-speed WCML services. The 53-strong Pendolino fleet, plus three tilting SuperVoyager diesel sets, were bought for use on these InterCity services. One Pendolino was written off in 2007 following the Grayrigg derailment. After the 2007 franchise "shake-up" in the Midlands, more SuperVoyagers were transferred to Virgin West Coast, instead of going to the new CrossCountry franchise. The SuperVoyagers are used on London–Chester and Holyhead services because the Chester/North Wales line is not electrified, so they run "under the wires" between London and Crewe. SuperVoyagers were also used on Virgin's London-Scotland via Birmingham services, even though this route is entirely electrified – this situation is, however, changing since the expansion of the Pendolino fleet; from 2013 onward Class 390 sets have been routinely deployed on Edinburgh/Glasgow–Birmingham services.

By 2012, the WCML Pendolino fleet was strengthened by the addition of two coaches to 31 of the 52 existing sets, thus turning them into 11-car trains. Four brand new 11-car sets are also part of this order, one of which replaced the set lost in the Grayrigg derailment. Although the new stock was supplied in Virgin livery, it was not expected to enter traffic before 31 March 2012, when the InterCity West Coast franchise was due to be re-let, though the date for the new franchise was later put back to December 2012, and any effect of this on the timetable for introducing the new coaches remains unclear.

Previous franchisees Central Trains and Silverlink (operating local and regional services partly over sections of the WCML) were given 30 new "Desiro" Class 350s, originally ordered for services in the south-east. Following Govia's successful bid for the West Midlands franchise in 2007, another 37 Class 350 units were ordered to replace its older fleet of Class 321s.

The older BR-vintage locomotive-hauled passenger rolling stock still has a limited role on the WCML, with the overnight Caledonian Sleeper services between London Euston and Scotland using Mark 3 and Mark 2 coaches until their replacement with Mark 5 stock in October 2019. Virgin also retained and refurbished one of the original Mark 3 rakes with a Driving Van Trailer and a Class 90 locomotive as a standby set to cover for Pendolino breakdowns. This set was retired from service on 25 October with a rail tour the following day. In November 2014, the "Pretendolino" was transferred to Norwich Crown Point depot to enter service with Abellio Greater Anglia having come to the end of its agreed lease to Virgin Trains.

In September 2022, following the death of Queen Elizabeth II, locomotive hauled services returned briefly to the WCML once more when incumbent operator Avanti West Coast employed a rake of Mark 3 coaches (hauled by a Class 90 locomotive) to provide additional services to Euston for those wishing to travel to London for the Queen's lying-in-state and subsequent funeral.

The following table lists the rolling stock which forms the core passenger service pattern on the WCML serving its principal termini; it is not exhaustive as many other types use small sections of the WCML as part of other routes.

Commuter and regional trains

Family	Class	Image	Type	Top speed		Operator	Routes
				mph	km/h
BR Sprinter	Class 153		DMU	75	120	Transport for Wales Rail	Chester–Crewe
	Class 156					ScotRail	Glasgow South Western Line
	Class 158			90	145	Northern Trains Transport for Wales Rail	Settle–Carlisle line Birmingham International–Shrewsbury Aberystwyth, Pwllheli Chester and Holyhead
Bombardier Turbostar	Class 170			100	161	CrossCountry	Cardiff Central–Nottingham Birmingham New Street–Nottingham Birmingham New Street–Stansted Airport Birmingham New Street–Leicester
Siemens Desiro	Class 185					TransPennine Express	TransPennine North West
BR Second Generation	Class 318		EMU	90	145	ScotRail	Glasgow Central–Lanark and Carstairs
	Class 320/3						North Clyde Line Argyle Line Whifflet Line
	Class 320/4			100	161
	Class 323			90	145	Northern Trains	Crewe–Manchester Piccadilly and Stoke-on-Trent–Manchester Piccadilly
CAF Civity	Class 331			100	161		Crewe–Manchester Piccadilly and Stoke-on-Trent–Manchester Piccadilly
Siemens Desiro	Class 350			110	180	London Northwestern Railway	London Euston–Tring, Milton Keynes Central, Northampton and Birmingham New Street, Birmingham New Street–Liverpool Lime Street, Stafford–Crewe via Stoke-on-Trent London Euston–Crewe via Trent Valley line
Bombardier Electrostar	Class 377			100	161	Southern	Watford Junction–East Croydon
Siemens Desiro	Class 380					ScotRail	Ayrshire Coast Line Inverclyde Line North Berwick Line Paisley Canal Line Argyle Line Cathcart Circle Line
Hitachi AT200	Class 385						Shotts Line
Alstom Aventra	730/0			90	145	London Northwestern Railway	London Euston–Tring, Milton Keynes Central and Northampton

High-speed trains

Family	Class	Image	Type	Top speed		Operator	Routes
				mph	km/h
Bombardier Voyager	Class 220		DEMU	125	200	CrossCountry	Between Birmingham New Street and Manchester Piccadilly and between Glasgow Central and Edinburgh Waverley before joining or leaving the ECML
	Class 221					Avanti West Coast	Services between London Euston to: North Wales, Chester, Shrewsbury, Blackpool North, Edinburgh Waverley and Glasgow Central.
						CrossCountry	Between Birmingham New Street and Manchester Piccadilly and between Glasgow Central and Edinburgh Waverley before joining or leaving the ECML
Alstom Pendolino	Class 390		EMU			Avanti West Coast	Services from London Euston to Manchester Piccadilly, Liverpool Lime Street, Blackpool North, Birmingham New Street and the West Midlands, Glasgow Central and Edinburgh Waverley.
CAF Civity	Class 397					TransPennine Express	Manchester Airport and Liverpool Lime Street to Glasgow Central and Edinburgh Waverley.
Hitachi AT300	Class 800 Azuma		Bi-mode multiple unit			London North Eastern Railway	Edinburgh branch of the WCML between Glasgow Central and Edinburgh Waverley before joining or leaving the ECML
	Class 801 Azuma		EMU
	Class 802 Nova 1		Bi-mode multiple unit			TransPennine Express	Manchester Airport and Liverpool Lime Street to Glasgow Central and Edinburgh Waverley.
	Class 805 Evero					Avanti West Coast	Euston to Chester, Blackpool North, Wrexham General, Liverpool Lime Street, Wolverhampton and Holyhead.

Sleeper trains

Class	Image	Type	Top speed		Operator	Routes
			mph	km/h
Class 92		Electric locomotive	87	140	GB Railfreight, on behalf of Caledonian Sleeper	All Caledonian Sleeper services, for sections between London Euston and Glasgow or Edinburgh
Mark 5 coach		Lounge Seated sleeper Sleeping car	100	161	Caledonian Sleeper	All Caledonian Sleeper services

Future trains

Family	Class	Image	Type	Top speed		Operator	Routes	Expected introduction
				mph	km/h
Alstom Aventra	Class 730/0		EMU	90	145	West Midlands Railway	Birmingham New Street to Wolverhampton, Birmingham International and Coventry	2024
	Class 730/2			110	177	London Northwestern Railway	London Euston to Tring, Milton Keynes Central, Northampton and Birmingham New Street Birmingham New Street to Liverpool Lime Street Crewe to London Euston via the Trent Valley line
Hitachi AT300	Class 807			125	200	Avanti West Coast	Services between London Euston to: North Wales, Chester and Shrewsbury.	2023

Operators

Avanti West Coast

The current principal train operating company on the West Coast Main Line is Avanti West Coast, which runs the majority of long-distance services under the West Coast Partnership rail franchise. In November 2016, the government announced that the (then named) InterCity West Coast franchise would be replaced by a new franchise called 'West Coast Partnership', which includes operating the planned High Speed 2 (HS2) service as well as the existing West Coast Main Line express services. In August 2019, the DfT announced that First Trenitalia West Coast Rail (trading as Avanti West Coast) was the successful bidder. Avanti West Coast commenced operating the franchise on 8 December 2019.

Avanti operates nine trains per hour on the WCML from London Euston, with three trains per hour to Manchester Piccadilly, two trains per hour to Birmingham New Street, one train per hour to each of Chester, Liverpool Lime Street and Glasgow Central via the Trent Valley (one Birmingham New Street train per hour continues to Scotland via Wolverhampton alternating between Edinburgh Waverley or Glasgow Central), five trains on a weekday to Holyhead and three trains on a weekday to Bangor. There is also one weekday train in to/from Wrexham General. Additional peak terminating services run between London Euston and Preston, Wolverhampton, Crewe, Birmingham International, Lancaster and Carlisle. Additional trains during the early morning, late evening, rush hour and night that terminate or start at Birmingham. There are also three daily (Monday to Friday) services between London Euston and Blackpool North.

West Midlands Trains

West Midlands Trains provides commuter and long-distance services on the route, which terminate at London Euston. They are all operated under the London Northwestern Railway brand. There are two trains an hour from London to Birmingham; one calling at the majority of stations en route and one calling only at Watford Junction, Milton Keynes Central, Northampton, Rugby, Coventry, Canley, Tile Hill, Berkswell, Hampton-in-Arden, Birmingham International and Marston Green. There are two return trains per hour from Birmingham New Street to London Euston. These London–Birmingham stopping services are roughly one hour slower, end to end, than the Avanti West Coast fast service. There is also an hourly service from London Euston to Northampton calling at Leighton Buzzard, Bletchley, Milton Keynes Central and Wolverton.

West Midlands Trains also operates an hourly service between London Euston and Crewe, serving Watford Junction, Milton Keynes Central, Northampton (peak times and Sundays only), Rugby, Nuneaton, Atherstone, Polesworth (once a day on Mondays to Saturdays), Tamworth, Lichfield Trent Valley, Rugeley Trent Valley, Stafford and Crewe. Some services also call at Hemel Hempstead, Berkhamsted, Tring, Cheddington, Leighton Buzzard and Bletchley. Trains also call at Long Buckby (Sundays only). This service was introduced in 2008 to coincide with the withdrawal of the similar Virgin Trains service. Under 'Project 110' this service was reconfigured in December 2012 and to operate 10 mph faster using enhanced British Rail Class 350/1 units.

A service to Tring is provided half-hourly from Euston; one calling at Harrow & Wealdstone, Bushey, Watford Junction, Kings Langley, Apsley, Hemel Hempstead and Berkhamsted and one calling at Wembley Central, Harrow & Wealdstone, Bushey, Watford Junction, Kings Langley, Apsley, Hemel Hempstead and Berkhamstead. An hourly service operates to Milton Keynes Central calling at Watford Junction, Hemel Hempstead, Berkhamstead, Tring, Cheddington, Leighton Buzzard and Bletchley.

West Midlands Trains also operates an hourly stopping train on the Marston Vale Line from Bletchley to Bedford as well as a 45-minute service on the Abbey Line to St Albans Abbey. These are both local branches off the WCML and classified as part of it.

After the Central Trains franchise was revised, London Midland took over services running on the WCML between Birmingham and Liverpool. In August 2017, London Midland lost the West Midlands franchise; West Midlands Trains took over in December 2017. Services on the WCML are all branded London Northwestern Railway services, and all local services around Birmingham are branded West Midlands Railway services.

TransPennine Express

TransPennine Express provides services along the WCML between Manchester Airport or Liverpool Lime Street, and Glasgow or Edinburgh (alternating serving each every 2 hours).

Southern

Southern provides an hourly service between East Croydon and Watford Junction, which calls at all stations on the West London Line, then Wembley Central, Harrow & Wealdstone and Watford Junction. Three trains per day extend to Hemel Hempstead.

London North Eastern Railway

London North Eastern Railway operates one train per day between Glasgow Central and London King's Cross via Edinburgh Waverley, operating over the West Coast Main Line route between Edinburgh and Glasgow.

CrossCountry

CrossCountry operates services from Plymouth, Bournemouth and Bristol Temple Meads to Manchester Piccadilly; these trains run along the West Coast Main Line between Coventry and Manchester Piccadilly. Some trains from Manchester Piccadilly to Bristol Temple Meads are extended to Paignton and Plymouth, and on summer weekends to Penzance and Newquay. CrossCountry services between Reading and Newcastle also use a small portion of the West Coast Main Line between Coventry and Birmingham New Street.

CrossCountry also operates occasional services to/from Glasgow Central, which operate to either Penzance, Plymouth, Newcastle upon Tyne, Bristol Temple Meads or Birmingham New Street. On summer weekends trains from Glasgow Central also operate to Paignton, Penzance and Newquay. These services use the West Coast Main Line from Edinburgh to Glasgow Central.

ScotRail

ScotRail operates services on sections of the West Coast Main Line for example near Glasgow with Argyle Line trains running on the section from Cambuslang to Carluke before veering off on the short branch to Lanark or heading along till Carstairs. The North Berwick Line runs from Glasgow Central High Level via Motherwell to Carstairs and onto Haymarket, Edinburgh Waverley and North Berwick.

At Carlisle the Glasgow South Western Line runs for several miles before heading west towards Dumfries, Kilmarnock, Ayr and Stranraer.

Caledonian Sleeper

Caledonian Sleeper operates services down the length of the West Coast Main Line, providing an overnight services each way between London and Scotland.

Recent developments

Felixstowe and Nuneaton freight capacity scheme

Main article: Birmingham to Peterborough Line

A number of items of work are under way or proposed to accommodate additional freight traffic between the Haven ports and the Midlands including track dualling. The 'Nuneaton North Chord' was completed and opened on 15 November 2012. The chord will ease access for some trains between the Birmingham to Peterborough Line and the WCML. The Ipswich chord was opened at the end of March 2014 allowing trains to run without reversing from Felixstowe towards the Midlands.

Stafford Area Improvements Programme

Planned flying junction and 2.5 mi (4.0 km) track diversion in the Stafford – Norton Bridge area. This replaced the previous level junction where the Stafford to Manchester via Stoke-on-Trent line diverges from the trunk route at Norton Bridge, avoiding conflicting train movements to enhance capacity and reduce journey times, additional freight capacity was also provided around Stafford station. This allowed two extra off-peak trains per hour from Euston to the North West, one extra train per hour from Manchester to Birmingham and one additional freight train per hour. The resignalling work associated with this project was due to be completed in summer 2015 and the Norton Bridge work was complete in December 2016, followed by a new timetable introduced in December 2017.

Weaver Junction to Liverpool signalling

Re-signalling work the WCML spur track from Liverpool to Weaver Junction was underway in 2016. Signal control moved to the Manchester Rail Operating Centre removing five local signal boxes. The signal improvements will improve journey times on this section of track.

Proposed development

Outline map of the possible future Crossrail extensions as recommended in the 2011 RUS, which include the WCML

Increased line speed

Virgin Trains put forward plans in 2007 to increase the line speed in places on the WCML – particularly along sections of the Trent Valley Line between Stafford and Rugby from 125 to 135 mph (200 to 217 km/h) after the quadrupling of track had been completed. This would permit faster services and possibly allow additional train paths. 135 mph (217 km/h) was claimed to be achievable by Pendolino trains while using existing lineside signalling without the need for cab signalling via the use of the TASS system (Tilt Authorisation and Speed Supervision) to prevent overspeeding. In practice, regulations introduced by the HMRI (now ORR) at the time of the ECML high-speed test runs in 1991 are still in force prohibiting this. Network Rail was aware of Virgin Train's aspirations; however, in November 2009 Chris Mole MP (then Parliamentary Under Secretary of State, Transport) announced that there were no plans for this to happen and thus for the foreseeable future the maximum speed will remain at 125 mph (201 km/h).

In promoting this proposal, Virgin Trains reported that passenger numbers on Virgin West Coast increased from 13.6 million in 1997/98 to 18.7 million in 2005/6, while numbers on CrossCountry grew from 12.6 million to 20.4 million over the same period.

Crossrail extension

In the London & South East Rail Utilisation Strategy (RUS) document published by Network Rail in 2011, a proposal was put forward to extend the Crossrail lines, currently under construction in central London, along the West Coast Main Line as far as Tring and Milton Keynes Central. The scheme would involve the construction of a tunnel in the vicinity of the proposed new station at Old Oak Common in West London connecting the Crossrail route to the WCML slow lines with a potential for interchange with the planned High Speed 2 line. Under current plans, a proportion of westbound Crossrail trains will terminate at Paddington due to capacity limitations; the RUS recommends the WCML extension as it will enable these services to continue beyond Paddington, maximising the use of the central London tunnels. The RUS also notes that diversion of WCML regional rail services via Crossrail into central London would alleviate congestion at Euston station, and consequently reduce the need for infrastructure work on the London Underground network which would be required to accommodate HS2 passengers arriving at Euston. The Crossrail extension proposal has not been officially confirmed or funded. In August 2014, the government launched a study into the Crossrail extension.

Accidents

See also: List of rail accidents in the United Kingdom

Name	Date	Killed and/or Injured	Notes
Grayrigg derailment (at Lambrigg Crossovers, south of Grayrigg)	23 February 2007	1 killed
Tebay rail accident	15 February 2004	4 workers killed (no public involvement)
Norton Bridge rail crash	16 October 2003	1 injured
Winsford rail crash	23 June 1999	31 injured
Watford rail crash	8 August 1996	1 killed, 69 injured
Stafford rail crash (1996)	8 March 1996	1 killed, 22 injured
Newton rail crash	21 July 1991	4 killed, 22 injured
Stafford rail crash (1990)	4 August 1990	1 killed, 35 injured
Colwich rail crash	19 September 1986	1 killed 60 injured
Wembley Central rail crash	11 October 1984	3 killed, 18 injured
Nuneaton rail crash	6 June 1975	6 killed 67 injured
Watford Junction rail crash	23 January 1975	1 killed, 11 injured
Hixon rail crash	6 January 1968	11 killed, 27 injured
Stechford rail crash	28 February 1967	9 killed, 16 injured
Cheadle Hulme 'bend' derailment	28 May 1964	3 killed
Coppenhall Junction railway accident	26 December 1962	18 killed, 34 injured
Harrow and Wealdstone railway accident	8 October 1952	112 killed, 340 injured – worst accident in England and London.	Worst peacetime railway accident in the UK
Weedon rail crash (1951)	21 September 1951	15 killed, 36 injured
Lambrigg Crossing signal box between Grayrigg and Oxenholme	18 May 1947 (express hit light engine driver missing a signal while looking in his food box)	4 in hospital, 34 minor injuries
Lichfield rail crash	1 January 1946	20 killed, 21 injured.
Bourne End rail crash	30 September 1945	43 killed, 64 injured
Winwick rail crash	28 September 1934	12 killed
Weedon (1915)	14 August 1915	10 killed, 21 injured
Quintinshill rail crash	22 May 1915	227 killed, 246 injured.	Worst ever rail accident in the United Kingdom.
Ditton Junction rail crash	17 September 1912	15 killed
Chelford rail accident	22 December 1894	14 killed, 48 injured
Wigan rail crash	1 August 1873	13 killed, 30 major injuries.
Tamworth rail crash	14 September 1870	3 killed, 13 injured.
Warrington rail crash	29 June 1867	8 killed, 33 injured
Atherstone rail accident	16 November 1860	10 killed.

Route

Map of WCML

See also: Trent Valley line

In June 2019 Network Rail formed five regions for helping to support Britain's railways. In August and September 2019, 14 routes responsible for the operation, maintenance and renewal of infrastructure were assigned across these regions. The West Coast Main Line runs through two of these regions ("Scotland's Railway" and "North West and Central") and is a part of 3 routes ("Scotland", "North West" and "West Coast Mainline South").

The cities and towns served by the WCML are listed in the tables below. Stations on loops and branches are marked **. Those stations in italics are not served by inter-city services run by Avanti West Coast but only by local trains. Between Euston and Watford Junction the WCML is largely but not exactly paralleled by the operationally independent Watford DC Line, a local stopping service now part of London Overground, with 17 intermediate stations, including three with additional platforms on the WCML.

The final table retraces the route specifically to indicate the many loops, branches, junctions and interchange stations on the core of the WCML.

The North Wales Coast Line between Crewe and Holyhead is not electrified. Services between London, Chester and Holyhead are operated by Super Voyager tilting diesel trains. Formerly in the case of one of the Holyhead services, a Pendolino set was hauled from Crewe by a Class 57/3 diesel locomotive.

London to Glasgow and Edinburgh

Town/City	Station	Ordnance Survey National Grid Reference	Branches and loops
London	London Euston	TQ295827
Wembley	Wembley Central	TQ182850
Harrow	Harrow and Wealdstone	TQ154894
Bushey	Bushey	TQ118953
Watford	Watford Junction	TQ109973
Kings Langley	Kings Langley	TL080019
Apsley	Apsley	TL062048
Hemel Hempstead	Hemel Hempstead	TL042059
Berkhamsted	Berkhamsted	SP993081
Tring	Tring	SP950122
Cheddington	Cheddington	SP922185
Leighton Buzzard	Leighton Buzzard	SP910250
Milton Keynes (Bletchley area)	Bletchley	SP868337
Milton Keynes (centre)	Milton Keynes Central	SP841380
Milton Keynes (Wolverton area)	Wolverton	SP820414
Northampton	Northampton	SP623666	Northampton loop
Long Buckby	Long Buckby	SP511759	Northampton loop
Rugby	Rugby	SP511759
Nuneaton	Nuneaton	SP364921
Atherstone	Atherstone	SP304979
Polesworth	Polesworth	SK264031
Tamworth	Tamworth	SK213044
Lichfield	Lichfield Trent Valley	SK136099
Rugeley	Rugeley Trent Valley	SK048191
Stafford	Stafford	SJ918229
Stoke-on-Trent	Stoke-on-Trent	SJ879456	Stafford–Manchester line
Congleton	Congleton	SJ872623	Stafford–Manchester line
Macclesfield	Macclesfield	SJ919736	Stafford–Manchester line
Stockport	Stockport	SJ892898	Stafford–Manchester line
Manchester	Manchester Piccadilly	SJ849977	Stafford–Manchester line
Crewe	Crewe	SJ711546
Winsford	Winsford	SJ670660
Northwich	Hartford	SJ631717
Acton Bridge	Acton Bridge	SJ598745
Runcorn	Runcorn	SJ508826	Crewe–Liverpool line
Liverpool	Liverpool South Parkway		Crewe–Liverpool line
Liverpool	Liverpool Lime Street	SJ352905	Crewe–Liverpool line
Warrington	Warrington Bank Quay	SJ599878
Wigan	Wigan North Western	SD581053
Euxton	Euxton Balshaw Lane
Leyland	Leyland
Preston	Preston	SD534290
Lancaster	Lancaster	SD471617
Carnforth	Carnforth
Oxenholme (Kendal)	Oxenholme Lake District	SD531901
Penrith	Penrith	NY511299
Carlisle	Carlisle	NY402554
Lockerbie	Lockerbie	NY137817
Carstairs	Carstairs Junction	NS952454
Motherwell	Motherwell	NS750572
Glasgow	Glasgow Central	NS587651
Edinburgh (Haymarket/West End)	Haymarket	NT239731	Glasgow–Edinburgh via Carstairs line
Edinburgh	Edinburgh Waverley	NT257738	Glasgow–Edinburgh via Carstairs line

Branches and loops

Rugby–Birmingham–Stafford line
and other local routes
to Crewe Stafford to Stoke-on-Trent Penkridge Colwich Junction Colwich to Shrewsbury Rugeley Trent Valley Wolverhampton Walsall Coseley Tipton Armitage Dudley Port Sandwell & Dudley to Burton upon Trent Smethwick Galton Bridge Lichfield Trent Valley Smethwick Rolfe Street to Bromsgrove & Redditch Birmingham New Street Aston Adderley Park Water Orton to Burton upon Trent Stechford Tamworth Lea Hall Polesworth Marston Green Atherstone Birmingham International Hampton-in-Arden Nuneaton Berkswell Tile Hill to Leicester Canley Bedworth Bulkington Coventry Shilton Brinklow to Leamington Spa Rugby to Northampton to London Euston
Key
West Coast Main Line Birmingham Loop Line freight and diversionary lines other lines

The WCML is noted for the diversity of branches served between the London and Glasgow main line. The adjacent diagram deals with the very complex network of lines in the West Midlands that link the old route via Birmingham with the new WCML route via the Trent Valley (i.e. 1830s versus 1840s).

In the following tables, related to the WCML branches, only the Intercity stations are recorded:

Rugby–Birmingham–Wolverhampton–Stafford

Main article: Rugby–Birmingham–Stafford Line

City/Town		Station	Ordnance Survey grid reference
Rugby		Rugby	SP511759 SP331781 SP187836 SP069866 SO992900 SO919988 SJ918229
Coventry	Coventry	Coventry
	Canley	Canley
	Tile Hill	Tile Hill
Balsall Common		Berkswell
Hampton in Arden		Hampton-in-Arden
Birmingham Airport		Birmingham International
Solihull	Marston Green	Marston Green
Birmingham	Lea Hall	Lea Hall
	Stechford	Stechford
	Adderley Park	Adderley Park
	Birmingham city centre	Birmingham New Street
Smethwick		Smethwick Rolfe Street
		Smethwick Galton Bridge
Oldbury		Sandwell and Dudley
Tipton		Dudley Port
		Tipton
Dudley	Coseley	Coseley
Wolverhampton		Wolverhampton
Penkridge		Penkridge
Stafford		Stafford

Crewe–Manchester–Preston

City/Town	Station	Ordnance Survey grid reference
Crewe	Crewe	SJ711546
Wilmslow	Wilmslow	SJ850811
Stockport	Stockport	SJ892898
Manchester	Manchester Piccadilly	SJ849977
Bolton	Bolton	SD719086
Preston	Preston	SD534290

Tunnels, viaducts and major bridges

Major civil engineering structures on the West Coast Main Line include the following. Many of the engineering features on the southern part of the route are original to the opening of the London and Birmingham Railway in the 1830s and are now listed buildings in recognition of their historic and engineering interest.

Tunnels, viaducts and major bridges on the West Coast Main Line

Railway Structure	Length	Distance from Carlisle	ELR	Location
Clyde Bridge	8 chains	102 miles 04 chains – 101 miles 76 chains	WCM2	South of Glasgow Central station
Eglinton Street Tunnels	200 yards (183 m)	101 miles 22 chains – 101 miles 13 chains
Clyde Viaduct No. 37		94 miles 16 chains		West of Uddingston station
Orbiston Viaduct No. 24 (River Calder)	5 chains	90 miles 62 chains – 90 miles 57 chains		Between Uddingston and Motherwell stations
Mouse Water Viaduct	5 chains	76 miles 13 chains – 76 miles 08 chains	WCM1	Between Carluke and Carstairs
Float Viaduct (River Clyde)	5 chains	72 miles 52 chains – 72 miles 47 chains		Between Carstairs South Junction and Lockerbie
Lamington Viaduct (River Clyde)	6 chains	62 miles 70 chains – 62 miles 64 chains
Crawford Viaduct (River Clyde)	5 chains	55 miles 62 chains – 55 miles 57 chains
Harthorpe Viaduct (Elvan Water)	6 chains	47 miles 06 chains – 47 miles 00 chains
Elvan Water Viaduct		42 miles 78 chains
Cogrie Viaduct (River Annan)	4 chains	35 miles 70 chains – 35 miles 66 chains
Dryfe Water Viaduct	4 chains	27 miles 32 chains – 27 miles 28 chains
Milk Water Viaduct	7 chains	23 miles 75 chains – 23 miles 68 chains		Between Lockerbie and Carlisle stations
Mein Water Viaduct		17 miles 65 chains
Kirtle Water Viaduct		15 miles 60 chains
Sark Viaduct (Scotland/England Border)		8 miles 55 chains
Esk Viaduct	7 chains	6 miles 50 chains – 6 miles 43 chains
Eden Viaduct	3 chains	1 mile 23 chains – 1 mile 20 chains
Caldew Viaduct	7 chains	0 miles 66 chains – 0 miles 59 chains
		Distance from Lancaster
Eamont Viaduct	5 chains	50 miles 12 chains – 50 miles 07 chains	CGJ7	Between Penrith and Oxenholme stations
Lowther Viaduct	7 chains	48 miles 57 chains – 48 miles 50 chains
Birkbeck Viaduct		33 miles 28 chains
North Lune Viaduct		32 miles 20 chains
River Lune		31 miles 55 chains
Docker Garth's Viaduct	6 chains	24 miles 03 chains – 23 miles 77 chains
Beela Viaduct		13 miles 02 chains		Between Oxenholme and Lancaster stations
Lune Viaduct	12 chains	0 miles 38 chains – 0 miles 26 chains
		Distance from Preston
Lancaster Canal		20 miles 36 chains	CGJ6
Conder Viaduct		16 miles 76 chains		Between Lancaster and Preston stations
Wyre Viaduct		13 miles 01 chains
Barton Viaduct		4 miles 30 chains
Fylde Road Viaduct		0 miles 64 chains
		Distance from Newton-le-Willows Junction
Ribble Viaduct	12 chains	21 miles 33 chains – 21 miles 21 chains	CGJ5	Between Preston and Wigan NW stations
River Yarrow Viaduct	5 chains	14 miles 55 chains – 14 miles 50 chains
Leeds Liverpool Canal	4 chains	6 miles 04 chains – 6 miles 00 chains		Between Wigan NW and Warrington Bank Quay
	7 chains	4 miles 24 chains −4 miles 17 chains
		Distance from London Euston
River Mersey		181 miles 25 chains	CGJ2	South of Warrington Bank Quay station
Acton Grange Viaducts (Manchester Ship Canal)	5 chains	180 miles 40 chains – 180 miles 35 chains
Preston Brook Tunnel	78 yards (71 m)	176 miles 07 chains – 176 miles 04 chains		North of Weaver junction
Birdswood Tunnel (Up Liverpool flyover)	1 chain	175 miles 44 chains – 175 miles 43 chains	CGJ1	Weaver junction
Dutton Viaduct (River Weaver)	22 chains	174 miles 18 chains – 173 miles 76 chains		North of Acton Bridge station
Vale Royal Viaduct (River Weaver)	6 chains	168 miles 72 chains – 168 miles 66 chains		South of Hartford station
River Sow		137 miles 52 chains	LEC4	Between former Norton Bridge and Stafford stations
Baswich Viaducts (Staffs. & Worc. Canal and River Penk)	7 chains	131 miles 57 chains – 131 miles 50 chains	LEC2	Between Stafford and Rugeley TV stations
Shugborough Tunnel	777 yards (710 m)	129 miles 01 chains – 128 miles 46 chains
Shugborough Viaduct (River Trent)	3 chains	127 miles 71 chains – 127 miles 68 chains
Trent & Mersey Canal		127 mile 22 chains
River Trent Viaduct	4 chains	122 miles 18 chains – 122 miles 14 chains		Between Rugeley TV and Lichfield TV stations
Trent & Mersey Canal		121 miles 29 chains
Coventry Canal		115 miles 18 chains		Between Lichfield TV and Tamworth stations
River Tame	4 chains	112 miles 36 chains – 112 miles 32 chains
Tamworth Viaduct (River Anker)		109 miles 70 chains		South of Tamworth station
Polesworth North Viaduct	4 chains	106 miles 53 chains – 106 miles 49 chains		North of Polesworth station
Polesworth South Viaduct (River Anker)	4 chains	105 miles 75 chains – 105 miles 71 chains		Between Polesworth and Atherstone stations
Coventry Canal		105 miles 59 chains
		102 miles 05 chains
River Anker Viaduct	2 chains	96 miles 38 chains – 96 miles 36 chains		Between Nuneaton and Rugby stations
Ashby Canal		94 miles 61 chains
Oxford Canal		89 miles 61 chains
		88 miles 10 chains
		85 miles 54 chains
Avon Viaduct	5 chains	84 miles 09 chains – 84 miles 04 chains
Oxford Canal		82 miles 16 chains	HNR	Northampton line, between Rugby and Long Buckby stations
Crick Tunnel	595 yards (544 m)	79 miles 47 chains – 79 miles 20 chains
Grand Union Canal		78 miles 60 chains
Watford Lodge Tunnel	115 yards	78 miles 52 chains – 78 miles 47
River Nene Viaduct	5 chains	67 miles 77 chains – 67 miles 72 chains		Northampton line, between Long Buckby and Northampton stations
River Nene Viaduct	5 chains	66 miles 09 chains – 66 miles 04 chains
Earl Cowpers (River Nene)	6 chains	65 miles 19 chains – 65 miles 13 chains		Northampton line, between Northampton and Wolverton stations
Grand Junction Canal	4 chains	65 miles 11 chains – 65 miles 07 chains
Hunsbury Hill Tunnel	1152 yards (1053 m)	64 miles 54 chains – 63 miles 70 chains
Roade Cutting ‘Birdcage’ support structure	49 chains	60 miles 76 chains – 60 miles 27
Oxford Canal		79 miles 71 chains	LEC1	Between Rugby and Wolverton stations
Kilsby Tunnel	1 mile 656 yards (2209 m)	78 miles 13 chains – 76 miles 64 chains
Leicester Branch Canal		75 miles 11 chains
Grand Union Canal		73 miles 09 chains
Weedon Viaduct	4 chains	69 miles 15 chains – 69 miles 11 chains
Stowe Hill Tunnel	491 yards (449 m)	68 miles 32 chains – 68 miles 09 chains
Grand Union Canal		62 miles 59 chains
Wolverton Viaduct	9 chains	53 miles 01 chains – 52 miles 72 chains
Grand Union Canal	2 chains	52 miles 42 chains – 52 miles 40 chains		North of Wolverton station
		52 miles 18 chains		South of Wolverton station
Linslade Tunnels	287 yards (262 m), down fast 283 yards (259 m)	40 miles 73 chains – 40 miles 60 chains		North of Leighton Buzzard station
Grand Union Canal		34 miles 53 chains		Between Cheddington and Tring stations
Northchurch Tunnels	349 yards (319 m)	29 miles 12 chains – 28 miles 76 chains		North of Berkhamsted station
Grand Union Canal		25 miles 21 chains		Between Berkhamsted and Hemel Hempstead stations
Nash Mills railway bridge (crosses the Grand Union Canal)	22 miles 26 chains	Between Apsley and Kings Langley stations
Abbots Langley railway bridge	27 yards	22 miles 15 chains		South of Kings Langley station
Watford Slow Tunnel	1 mile 230 yards (1820 m)	19 miles 44 chains – 18 miles 33 chains		North of Watford Junction station
Watford Fast Tunnel	1 mile 55 yards (1660 m)	19 miles 40 chains – 18 miles 38 chains
Colne Viaduct	3 chains	16 miles 66 chains – 16 miles 63 chains		North of Bushey station
Bushey Arches Viaduct	6 chains	16 miles 11 chains – 16 miles 05 chains
Brent Viaducts		6 miles 77 chains		West of Stonebridge Park station
Kensal Green Tunnels	320 yards (293 m)	4 miles 59 chains – 4 miles 45 chains		West of Kensal Green station
Primrose Hill Tunnel (Fast)	1182 yards (1081 m)	2 miles 27 chains – 1 mile 54 chains		North-West of London Euston station
Primrose Hill Tunnel (Slow)	1170 yards (1070 m)	2 miles 27 chains – 1 mile ? chains
Lower Park Street Tunnel	127 yards (116 m)	0 miles 68 chains – 0 miles 62 chains
Upper Park Street Tunnel	162 yards (148 m)	0 miles 67 chains – 0 miles 60 chains

WCML branches and junctions

Location	Type	Route	Details
Camden Jnct	Branch	18	Watford DC Line (WDCL)
	Junction	6	North London Line from Primrose Hill joins WDCL and WCML
Willesden Jnct	Junction	6	North London Line from West Hampstead joins WDCL and WCML
	Junction	2	West London Line from Clapham Junction joins WCML
	Junction	6	North London Line from Richmond joins WCML
Willesden Junction	Interchange	6	North London Line with Watford DC Line
Watford Junction	Branch	18	Watford DC Line terminates at separate bay platforms
	Branch	18	St Albans Branch Line (AC single line single section) to St Albans
Bletchley	Branch	18	Marston Vale Line to Bedford
Bletchley High Level (Denbigh Hall South Jnct)	Branch	16	Freight only line to Newton Longville (remnant of mothballed Varsity Line to Oxford)
Hanslope Junction	Loop	18	Northampton Loop leaves a few miles north of Wolverton and rejoins just south of Rugby
Rugby	Junction	17	West Midlands Main Line to Coventry, Birmingham, Wolverhampton and Stafford
Nuneaton	Junction	19	The Birmingham to Peterborough Line from Peterborough
	Junction	17	The Coventry to Nuneaton Line
	Junction	17	The Birmingham to Peterborough Line to Birmingham
Tamworth	Interchange	17	The Cross Country Route Bristol and Birmingham to Derby and the North East
Lichfield Trent Valley	Interchange	17	The Cross-City Line Redditch to Lichfield
	Junction	17	north of the station
Rugeley Trent Valley	Junction	17	The Chase Line from Birmingham to Rugeley
Colwich Junction	Branch	18	to Stoke-on-Trent and Manchester (Route 20 from Cheadle Hulme)
Stafford	Junction	17	West Midlands Main Line from Coventry, Birmingham and Wolverhampton
Norton Bridge	Branch	18	to Stone to join line from Colwich Jnct to Manchester (Route 20 from Cheadle Hulme)
Stoke-on-Trent	Junction	19	from Derby
Kidsgrove	Branch	18	to Alsager and Crewe
Cheadle Hulme	–	20	Route 18 London – Manchester Line becomes Route 20 through to Manchester
Crewe	Branch	18	from Kidsgrove (diesel service from Skegness, Grantham, Nottingham Derby and Stoke-on-Trent)
	Junction	14	The Welsh Marches Line from South Wales, Hereford and Shrewsbury
	Junction	22	to Chester and the North Wales Coast Line
	Junction	20	to Wilmslow, Manchester Airport, Stockport and Manchester
Hartford North	Junction	20	(freight only) from Northwich
Weaver Junction	Branch	18	to Runcorn and Liverpool (Route 20 from Liverpool South Parkway railway station)
Liverpool South Parkway	–	20	Route 18 London to Liverpool Line becomes Route 20 to Liverpool Lime Street
Warrington	Junction	22	from Llandudno and Chester to Manchester
Winwick Jnct	Junction	20	to Liverpool, Earlestown and Manchester
Golborne Jnct	Junction	20	to Liverpool, Newton-le-Willows and Manchester
Ince Moss/Springs Branch Junct	Junction	20	The Liverpool to Wigan Line
Wigan	Junction	20	from Manchester
Euxton Jnct	Junction	20	The Manchester to Preston Line from Manchester
Farington Jnct	Junction	23	East Lancashire Line and Caldervale Line
Farington Curve Jnct	Junction	23	Ormskirk Branch Line, East Lancashire Line and Caldervale Line
Preston Dock	Junction	23	west
Preston	Junction	20	to Blackpool
Morecambe South Jnct	Junction	23	to Morecambe
Hest Bank Jnct	Junction	23	from Morecambe
Carnforth Jnct	Junction	23	Furness Line to Barrow-in-Furness and also the Leeds to Morecambe Line to Leeds
Oxenholme	Junction	23	to Windermere
Penrith	Junction	23	Route 23 uses two junctions to the north of the station
Carlisle	Junction	23	Route 23 Settle-Carlisle Railway and Route 9 from Newcastle
	Junction	23	The Cumbrian Coast Line from Barrow-in-Furness
Gretna Jnct	Junction	26	to the Glasgow South Western Line
Carstairs South Jnct	Junction	24	Route 18 West Coast Main Line becomes Route 24 to Edinburgh
Carstairs South	–	26	Route 18 West Coast Main Line becomes Route 26 to Glasgow

See also

• Castle Douglas and Dumfries Railway
• East Coast Main Line
• Great Central Main Line
• Highland Main Line
• Irish Sea tunnel
• Midland Main Line
• Midland Main Line railway upgrade
• Portpatrick Railway
• Rail transport in Great Britain
• West Coast Main Line route modernisation

References

Sources

• Buck, Martin; Rawlinson, Mark (2000). Line By Line: The West Coast Main Line, London Euston to Glasgow Central. Swindon: Freightmaster Publishing. ISBN 0-9537540-0-6.
• "EUSTON MAIN LINE ELECTRIFICATION, A Technical Conference sponsored jointly by the British Railways Board and the Institutions of Civil, Mechanical, Electrical, Locomotive, and Railway Signal Engineers, 25–26th October 1966". Conference Proceedings. 181 (6 (Part 3F)). Institution of Mechanical Engineers (IMECH). 1966–67.
  • Brentnall, E. G. (1966). "Paper 2: Signalling and Telecommunications Works on the Euston Main Line Electrification". Proceedings of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers, Conference Proceedings. 181 (36): 65–86. doi:10.1243/PIME_CONF_1966_181_108_02.
  • Butland, A. N. (1966). "Paper 3: Civil Engineering Works of the Euston Main Line Electrification Scheme". Proceedings of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers, Conference Proceedings. 181 (36): 51–64. doi:10.1243/PIME_CONF_1966_181_107_02.
  • Emerson, A. H. (1966). "Paper 4: Electrification of the London Midland Main Line from Euston". Proceedings of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers, Conference Proceedings. 181 (36): 17–50. doi:10.1243/PIME_CONF_1966_181_105_02.

Further reading

• Allen, David (29 January – 11 February 1997). "West Coast Signalling". RAIL. No. 297. EMAP Apex Publications. pp. 34–38. ISSN 0953-4563. OCLC 49953699.
• Ballantyne, Hugh (1989). The Colour of British Rail: West Coast Main Line. Vol. 2. Atlantic Transport Publishers. ISBN 9780906899328. OCLC 21600017.
• Joy, David (1967). Main Line Over Shap. Dalesman Publishing Co. Ltd. ISBN 9780852060636. OCLC 12273695.
• Longhurst, Roly (1979). Electric Locomotives of the West Coast Main Line. Bradford Barton. ISBN 9780851533551. OCLC 16491712.
• Nock, O. S. (1965). Britain's new railway: Electrification of the London-Midland main lines from Euston to Birmingham, Stoke-on-Trent, Crewe, Liverpool and Manchester. London: Ian Allan. OCLC 59003738.
• Nock, O. S. (1974). Electric Euston to Glasgow. Ian Allan. ISBN 978-0711005303.

External links

Template:Attached KML/West Coast Main Line

KML is from Wikidata

• Electric All The Way – 1974 British Rail information booklet about the completion of electrification to Glasgow.
• Rail Industry www page which monitors the progress of the project
• Department of Transport – 2006 – West Coast Main Line – Update Report
• Network Rail Business Plans and Reports
• British Railways in 1960, Euston to Crewe
• British Railways in 1960, Crewe to Carlisle
• British Railways in 1960, Carlisle to Carstairs
• British Railways in 1960, Carstairs to Glasgow
• London to Glasgow in five minutes – BBC video, December 2008
• Origins of 1849 stretch of line from Glasgow to Carlisle