Editing West Coast Main Line (section)

== 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 [[History of rail transport in Great Britain 1830–1922|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.
[[File:HLB Lok 2.jpg|thumb|[[LNWR 2-2-2 3020 Cornwall|3020 Cornwall]], an early LNWR express locomotive (built 1847, as pictured circa 1890)]]
The first stretch of what is now the WCML was the [[Grand Junction Railway]] connecting the Liverpool and Manchester Railway to Birmingham, via {{rws|Warrington|Bank Quay}}, {{rws|Crewe}}, {{rws|Stafford}} and {{rws|Wolverhampton}}, opening in 1837. The following year the [[London and Birmingham Railway]] was completed, connecting to the capital via {{rws|Coventry}}, {{rws|Rugby}} and the [[Watford Gap]]. The Grand Junction and London and Birmingham railways shared a Birmingham terminus at [[Birmingham Curzon Street railway station (1838-1966)|Curzon Street station]], so that it was now possible to travel by train between London, Birmingham, Manchester and Liverpool.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://virgintrainsmediaroom.com/media/adobepdf/3%20Grand%20Junction%20D.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060622194148/http://virgintrainsmediaroom.com/media/adobepdf/3%20Grand%20Junction%20D.pdf |title=Grand Junction Railway: History of the West Coast Main line |publisher=Virgin Trains |date=2004 |archive-date=22 June 2006 |url-status=dead}}</ref><ref name="web.archive.org">{{cite web |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060622194141/http://virgintrainsmediaroom.com/media/adobepdf/2%20LondonBirmingham%20D.pdf |title=London and Birmingham Railway: History of the West Coast Main line |publisher=Virgin Trains |date=2004 |url=http://virgintrainsmediaroom.com/media/adobepdf/2%20LondonBirmingham%20D.pdf |archive-date=22 June 2006}}</ref> 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 in rail transport|1846]] to form the [[London and North Western Railway]] (LNWR). Three other companies, the [[North Union Railway]] ([[Parkside railway station (Merseyside)|Parkside]]–Wigan–Preston), the [[Lancaster and Preston Junction Railway]] and the [[Lancaster and Carlisle Railway]], completed a through route to {{rws|Carlisle}} by the end of 1846, these were later absorbed by the LNWR.<ref name="Talbot 7-9">{{cite book |last1=Talbot |first1=Edward |title=The London & North Western Railway |date=1996 |publisher=Silver Link Publishing Ltd |isbn=1-85794-086-5 |pages=7–9}}</ref>

North of Carlisle, the [[Caledonian Railway]] remained independent, and opened [[Caledonian Main Line|its main line]] from Carlisle to {{rws|Beattock}} on 10 September 1847, connecting to Edinburgh in February 1848, and to Glasgow in November 1849.<ref name="Awdry">{{cite book |last=Awdry |first=Christopher |year=1990 |title=Encyclopaedia of British Railway Companies |location=Sparkford |publisher=Patrick Stephens Ltd |isbn=1-85260-049-7 |oclc=19514063}}</ref> 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.<ref>{{cite web |title=West Coast Joint Stock Railway |url=https://collection.sciencemuseumgroup.org.uk/people/cp32125/west-coast-joint-stock-railway |publisher=Science Museum Group |access-date=29 April 2024}}</ref> The first direct London to Glasgow trains in the 1850s took 12.5{{nbsp}}hours to complete the {{convert|400|mi|km|adj=on}} journey.<ref>{{cite book |first=John |last=Thomas |year=1971 |title=A Regional History of the Railways of Great Britain. Volume VI Scotland: The Lowlands and the Borders (1st ed.) |location= Newton Abbot |publisher= David & Charles |oclc=650446341}}</ref>

Another important section, the [[North Staffordshire Railway]] (NSR), which opened [[Stafford to Manchester Line|its route]] in 1848 from {{rws|Macclesfield}} (connecting with the LNWR from Manchester) to Stafford and [[Colwich Junction]] via {{rws|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.<ref>{{cite web |url= http://virgintrainsmediaroom.com/media/adobepdf/4%20Manchester%20D.pdf |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20060622194051/http://virgintrainsmediaroom.com/media/adobepdf/4%20Manchester%20D.pdf |title=The Manchester Lines: History of the West Coast Main line |publisher= Virgin Trains |year=2004 |archive-date=22 June 2006 |access-date=22 June 2006 |url-status=dead}}</ref>

The final sections of what is now the WCML were put in place over the following decades. A direct branch to {{rws|Liverpool|Lime Street}}, bypassing the earlier Liverpool and Manchester line, was opened in 1869, from [[Weaver Junction]] north of {{rws|Crewe}} to [[Ditton Junction]] via the [[Runcorn Railway Bridge]] over the [[River Mersey]].<ref>{{cite web |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060622194103/http://virgintrainsmediaroom.com/media/adobepdf/5%20Lancashire%20D.pdf |url=http://virgintrainsmediaroom.com/media/adobepdf/5%20Lancashire%20D.pdf |title=Lines in Lancashire: History of the West Coast Main line |publisher=Virgin Trains |year=2004 |archive-date=22 June 2006 |url-status=dead}}</ref>

At the northern end, the Caledonian replaced its original {{rws|Southside}} terminus in Glasgow, with the much larger and better located {{rws|Glasgow Central}} in 1879.<ref name="Awdry"/>

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 Line|Northampton Loop]], was built, opening in 1881, connecting {{rws|Northampton}} before rejoining the main line at Rugby.<ref name="web.archive.org" />

=== LMS, 1923–1948 ===
[[File:Coronation scot BNF.jpg|thumb|The [[Coronation Scot]] in 1937, hauled by a [[Streamliner|streamlined]] [[LMS Coronation Class|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 [[Big Four (British railway companies)|grouped]], under the [[Railways Act 1921]].

The LMS competed fiercely with the rival [[London and North Eastern Railway|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 [[Streamliner|streamlined]] [[LMS Princess Coronation Class|Princess Coronation Class]] locomotives, which made the journey in 6{{nbsp}}hours 30{{nbsp}}minutes,<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.railalbum.co.uk/steam-locomotives/lms-coronation-streamlined-1.htm |title=Rail Album – LMS Steam Locos – Streamlined Princess Coronation Class Pacifics – Part 1 |work=railalbum.co.uk}}</ref> making it competitive with the rival East Coast [[Flying Scotsman (train)|Flying Scotsman]] (British Railways in the 1950s could not match this, but did achieve a London-Glasgow timing of 7{{nbsp}}hours 15{{nbsp}}minutes in the 1959–60 timetable by strictly limiting the number of coaches to eight and not stopping between London and Carlisle.<ref>{{cite news |title=The winter timetables of British Railways: The West Coast speed-up |work=Trains Illustrated |publisher=Ian Allan |location=Hampton Court |date=December 1959 |page=584}}</ref>)

===British Rail, 1948–1997 ===
In 1948, following [[nationalisation]], the line came under the control of [[British Railways]]' [[London Midland Region|London Midland]] and [[Scottish Region]]s, when the term "West Coast Main Line" came into use officially,{{Citation needed|date=November 2010}} although it had been used informally since at least 1912.<ref>{{cite news |title=Auction Announcements of Messrs. Knight, Frank, and Rutley |newspaper=The Times |location=London |date=27 April 1912 |page=22 |quote="The Abington and Crawford Estates&nbsp;... extending as they do for some 12 miles either side of the main road and the West Coast Main Line to the North, with Abington and Crawford Stations on the Estate.}}</ref>

==== Modernisation by British Rail ====
[[File:Electric hauled train at Euston, 1966, geograph 6436599 by Alan Murray Rust.jpg|thumb|A train headed by a {{brc|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 [[Railway electrification in Great Britain|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 [[Rugby–Birmingham–Stafford Line|Birmingham branch]], and the routes to Manchester via {{rws|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 [[Crewe–Liverpool line|branch to Liverpool]] diverges) and Glasgow, and this was completed on 6 May 1974.<ref name="Electric All The Way" /><ref>{{cite book |title=The Guinness Book Of Rail Facts & Feats |last=Marshall |first=John |year=1979 |isbn=0-900424-56-7 |publisher=Guinness Superlatives |location=Enfield}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |last1=Christiansen |first1=Rex |title=A Regional History of the Railways of Great Britain, Volume 7 The West Midlands |date=1983 |publisher=David St John Thomas David and Charles|pages=45, 209 |isbn=0946537-00-3}}</ref> The announcement, after five years of uncertainty, was made 48{{nbsp}}hours before the writ was issued for a [[1970 South Ayrshire by-election|by-election in South Ayrshire]].<ref name=Observer>{{cite news |title=£25 million railway scheme shocks economists |newspaper=[[The Observer]] |pages=1 |date=1 March 1970 |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/257798361/ |access-date=27 February 2019 |last1=Beloff |first1=Nora |author-link=Nora Beloff |last2=Eglin |first2=Roger |last3=Haworth |first3=David |url-access=subscription |via=newspapers.com}}</ref> ''[[The Observer]]'' commented that, if the £25&nbsp;million decision was politically rather than financially motivated, it would have the makings of a major political scandal.<ref name=Observer />

A new set of high-speed long-distance services was introduced in 1966, launching British Rail's highly successful "[[InterCity (British Rail)|Inter-City]]" brand<ref>{{cite book |title=Fire and Steam, A New History of the Railways in Britain |last=Wolmar |first=Christian |author-link=Christian Wolmar |year=2007 |isbn=978-1-84354-629-0 |location=London |publisher=Atlantic}}</ref> (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{{nbsp}}hours 40{{nbsp}}minutes (and even 2{{nbsp}}hours 30{{nbsp}}minutes for the twice-daily [[Manchester Pullman]]).<ref>{{cite book |title=Passenger Timetable 1 May 1972 to 6 May 1973 |publisher=British Railways Board, London Midland Region |pages=83, 06}}</ref> This represented a big improvement on the 3{{nbsp}}hours 30{{nbsp}}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.<ref>{{cite web |publisher=British Railways Board |date=April 1966 |url=http://www.railwaysarchive.co.uk/documents/BRB_YNR001.pdf |title=Your New Railway: London Midland Electrification - Information booklet}}</ref> The service proved to be so popular that in 1972 these InterCity service frequencies were doubled to deal with increased demand.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Christiansen |first1=Rex |title=A Regional History of the Railways of Great Britain, Volume 7 The West Midlands |date=1983 |publisher=David St John Thomas David and Charles|page=246 |isbn=0946537-00-3}}</ref> With the completion of the northern electrification in 1974, London to Glasgow journey times were reduced from 6{{nbsp}}hours to 5.<ref name="Electric All The Way" /> Along with electrification came modern coaches such as the [[British Rail Mark 2|Mark 2]] and from 1974 the [[Monocoque|fully integral]], air-conditioned [[British Rail Mark 3|Mark 3]] design. These remained the mainstay of express services until the early 2000s. Line speeds were raised to a maximum {{cvt|110|mph|km/h}}, and these trains, hauled by {{brc|86}} and {{brc|87}} electric locomotives, came to be seen as BR's flagship passenger service. Passenger traffic on the WCML doubled between 1962 and 1975.<ref name="S.Potter and R. Roy">{{cite book |first1=Stephen |last1=Potter |first2=Robin |last2=Roy |series=Design and Innovation, Block 3 |title=Research and development: British Rail's fast trains |location=Milton Keynes |publisher=Open University Press |year=1986 |page=12 |isbn=978-0-335-17273-3}}</ref>

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 {{rws|Birmingham New Street}}, {{rws|Manchester Piccadilly}}, {{rws|Stafford}}, {{rws|Coventry}} and {{rws|London Euston}}. To enable the latter, the famous [[Euston Arch|Doric Arch portal]] into the original [[Philip Hardwick]]-designed terminus was demolished in 1962 amid much public outcry.<ref>{{cite news |first=Gavin |last=Stamp |author-link=Gavin Stamp |title=Steam ahead: the proposed rebuilding of London's Euston station is an opportunity to atone for a great architectural crime |date=1 October 2007 |url=http://www.apollo-magazine.com/189416/steam-ahead.thtml |work=Apollo: the international magazine of art and antiques |access-date=9 November 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071101082227/http://www.apollo-magazine.com/189416/steam-ahead.thtml |archive-date=1 November 2007 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

Electrification of the [[Glasgow to Edinburgh via Carstairs Line|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.<ref>{{cite book |last=Semmens |first=Peter |year=1991 |title=Electrifying the East Coast Route |publisher=Patrick Stephens |isbn=0-85059-929-6}}</ref>

[[File:APT at Crewe.jpg|thumb|left|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: {{rws|Windermere}}; {{rws|Barrow-in-Furness}}, {{rws|Whitehaven}} and {{rws|Workington}}; {{rws|Huddersfield}}, {{rws|Bradford Interchange}}, {{rws|Leeds}} and {{rws|Halifax|England}} (via Stockport); {{rws|Blackpool South}}; {{rws|Colne}} (via Stockport); {{rws|Morecambe}} and {{rws|Heysham}}; {{rws|Southport}} (via {{rws|Edge Hill}}); {{rws|Blackburn}} and {{rws|Stranraer Harbour}}. Notable also is the loss of through services between Liverpool and Scotland; however these were restored by [[TransPennine Express]] in 2019.<ref>{{Cite web |last1=Houghton |first1=Tom |edition=Updated |date=20 December 2019 |title=Direct trains launched between Liverpool Lime Street and Glasgow |url=https://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/news/liverpool-news/transpennine-express-launches-direct-trains-17452626 |access-date=4 June 2022 |website=Liverpool Echo}}</ref>

British Rail introduced the [[Advanced Passenger Train]] APT project, which proved that London–Glasgow WCML journey times of less than 4{{nbsp}}hours were achievable and paved the way for the later tilting Virgin ''[[Pendolino]]'' trains.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.apt-p.com/BenGoodwinDissertation.pdf |title='Queasy Rider:' The Failure of the Advanced Passenger Train.}}</ref> 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]] [[Passenger rail franchising in Great Britain|franchise]], which was won by [[Virgin Trains]] who took over in 1997.<ref name="HOCLWCML">{{cite web |title=Railways: West Coast Main Line |url=https://researchbriefings.files.parliament.uk/documents/SN00364/SN00364.pdf |publisher=House of Commons Library |access-date=19 May 2024}}</ref> In 2019, [[Avanti West Coast]] won the new [[West Coast Partnership]] franchise, taking over from Virgin Trains.

==== Modernisation by Railtrack and Network Rail ====
{{main|West Coast Main Line route modernisation}}
[[File:Pendolino and Freight train.jpg|thumb|A [[Virgin Trains|Virgin]] [[Pendolino]] and [[English Welsh and Scottish Railway|EWS]] {{brc|66}} freight train on the WCML]]

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 {{convert|140|mph|km/h|0|abbr=on}}, in place of the previous maximum of {{convert|110|mph|km/h|0|abbr=on}}. Railtrack estimated that this upgrade would cost £2&nbsp;billion, be ready by 2005, and cut journey times to 1&nbsp;hour for London to Birmingham and 1&nbsp;hr 45&nbsp;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".<ref name="BBCupgrade">{{cite web |title=West coast rail upgrade expected |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/2221904.stm |publisher=BBC News |access-date=19 May 2024 |date=28 August 2002}}</ref> Central to the implementation of the plan was the adoption of [[moving block signalling]], which had never been proven on anything more than simple [[rapid transit|metro lines]] and [[Light rail|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.<ref>{{cite news |first=James |last=Meek |url= https://www.theguardian.com/world/2004/apr/01/transport.politics1 |title=The £10bn Rail Crash |location=London |newspaper=The Guardian |date=1 April 2004}}</ref> The bankruptcy of Railtrack in 2001 and its replacement by [[Network Rail]] following the [[Hatfield train crash|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&nbsp;billion, the plans were scaled down, bringing the cost down to between £8&nbsp;billion and £10&nbsp;billion, to be ready by 2008, with a maximum speed for tilting trains of a more modest {{convert|125|mph|km/h|0|abbr=on}} – 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 {{convert|155|mph|km/h|-1|abbr=on}} speeds planned and achieved with the APT.<ref>{{cite web |title=West Coast Main Line |url=https://www.railway-technology.com/projects/virgin/?cf-view |publisher=Railway Technology |access-date=19 May 2024}}</ref>

The first phase of the upgrade, south of Manchester, opened on 27 September 2004 with journey times of 1{{nbsp}}hour 21{{nbsp}}minutes for London to Birmingham and 2{{nbsp}}hours 6{{nbsp}}minutes for London to Manchester. The final phase, introducing {{convert|125|mph|km/h|0|abbr=on}} running along most of the line, was announced as opening on 12 December 2005, bringing the fastest journey between London and Glasgow to 4{{nbsp}}hours 25{{nbsp}}mins (down from 5{{nbsp}}hours 10{{nbsp}}minutes).<ref name="High-speed tilting train on track">{{cite news |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/4518282.stm |title=High-speed tilting train on track |work=BBC News |date=12 December 2005}}</ref> 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&nbsp;– a Pendolino train completed the {{convert|401|mi|km|0|adj=on}} Glasgow Central&nbsp;– London Euston run in a record 3{{nbsp}}hours 55{{nbsp}}minutes, beating the APT's record of 4{{nbsp}}hours 15{{nbsp}}minutes, although the APT still holds the overall record on the northbound run.
The decade-long modernisation project was finally completed in December 2008.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/7782085.stm |title=West Coast rail works completed |work=BBC News |date=14 December 2008}}</ref> 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{{nbsp}}hours 30{{nbsp}}minutes barrier&nbsp;– with one service (calling only at Preston) achieving a London–Glasgow time of 4{{nbsp}}hours 8{{nbsp}}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{{nbsp}}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.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://alittlebitofstone.com/2016/03/29/norton-bridge-rail-flyover-opens/ |title=First trains use Norton Bridge rail flyover |date=29 March 2016 |website=A Little Bit of Stone}}</ref> Other projects such as the replacement of a weak bridge in Watford allowed line-speeds to be increased from {{convert|90|mph|km/h|0|abbr=on}} to {{convert|125|mph|km/h|0|abbr=on}}, decreasing journey times.<ref>{{Cite press release |url=https://www.networkrailmediacentre.co.uk/news/orphanage-road-bridge-to-be-replaced-as-work-to-upgrade-railway-at-watford-continues |title=Orphanage Road bridge to be replaced as work to upgrade railway at Watford continues |publisher= Network Rail |date=28 January 2015}}</ref>