Editing West Coast Main Line (section)

==Geography==
[[File:Lune Gorge - geograph.org.uk - 600047.jpg|thumb|left|The northern WCML as it weaves through the [[River Lune|Lune Gorge]] in Cumbria alongside the [[M6 Motorway|M6]] ]]
The spine between [[Euston railway station|London Euston]] and {{stn|Glasgow Central}} is {{convert|399|mi|km|0|adj=off}} long,<ref name="railwaytechnology">{{cite web|url=http://www.railway-technology.com/projects/virgin/ |title=West Coast Main Line Pendolino Tilting Trains, United Kingdom |publisher=railway-technology.com |access-date=1 December 2010}}</ref> with principal [[InterCity]] stations at {{rws|Watford Junction}}, {{rws|Milton Keynes Central}}, {{rws|Rugby}}, {{rws|Stafford}}, {{rws|Crewe}}, {{rws|Warrington Bank Quay}}, {{rws|Wigan North Western}}, {{rws|Preston}}, {{rws|Lancaster}}, {{rws|Oxenholme Lake District}}, {{rws|Penrith}} and {{rws|Carlisle}}.

The spine<ref name="Electric All The Way">{{cite web |publisher=British Railways Board |date=1974 |url=http://www.railwaysarchive.co.uk/documents/BRLM_Elec002.pdf |title=Electric All The Way - Information booklet}}</ref> 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, although this is not the most direct route between London and Edinburgh.<ref>{{cite web |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071015164053/http://virgintrainsmediaroom.com/index.cfm?Articleid=311 |url=http://virgintrainsmediaroom.com/index.cfm?Articleid=311 |title=History of the West Coast Main Line |publisher=Virgin Trains |date=2 July 2004 |archive-date=15 October 2007 |url-status=dead}}</ref> It provides a direct connection between the WCML and the [[East Coast Main Line]].

Originally, the lines between {{rws|Rugby}}, {{rws|Birmingham|New Street}} and {{rws|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 {{rws|Northampton}}. There is a spur at [[Weaver Junction]] north of {{rws|Crewe}} to {{rws|Liverpool|Lime Street}}. [[Weaver Junction]] on this branch is the oldest [[flying junction|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.{{Cn|date=March 2024}} 

The geography of the route was determined by avoiding large estates and hilly areas, such as the [[Chiltern Hills|Chilterns]] ([[Tring Cutting]]); the [[Watford Gap]] and Northampton uplands, followed by the Trent Valley; the mountains of [[Cumbria]], with a [[Shap Summit|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 train]]s, initially with [[British Rail]]'s [[Advanced Passenger Train|APT]] and latterly the {{brc|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 (road/rail)|cant]] levels on curves and seen some track realignments; this scheme faltered for lack of funding in the economic climate of the time.{{cn|date=May 2022}}