West Coast Main Line
The West Coast Main Line running alongside theM1 motorway atWatford Gap
Overview
Status	Operational
Owner	Network Rail
Locale	Greater London East of England South East England East Midlands 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)[1]
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)[a]
Route map (Click to expand)Show static map Legend Edinburgh Waverley( St Andrew Sq.) Haymarket Glasgow Central(St Enoch) Motherwell Carstairs Carstairs South Junction Lockerbie Scotland England Carlisle Penrith Oxenholme Lake District forWindermere Lancaster Preston forBlackpool North Euxton Junction Bolton Wigan North Western Warrington Bank Quay Liverpool Lime Street Liverpool South Parkway Runcorn Weaver Junction Manchester Piccadilly Stockport HolyheadforDublin 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 Sandwell and Dudley 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 atWest Coast Main Line diagram. This diagram: view talk edit Show diagram map

TheWest Coast Main Line (WCML) is a significant railway corridor in the United Kingdom, which connects the major cities ofLondon andGlasgow with branches toBirmingham,Manchester,Liverpool andEdinburgh. It is one of the busiest mixed-traffic railway routes in Europe, carrying a mixture ofinter-city rail,regional rail,commuter rail andrail freight traffic. The core route of the WCML runs from London to Glasgow for 399 miles (642 km) and was opened between 1837 and 1881; this totals a route mileage of 700 miles (1,127 km) by including its many branches.^[3][4] TheGlasgow–Edinburgh via Carstairs line connects the WCML to Edinburgh; however, the main London–Edinburgh route is theEast Coast Main Line viaYork. Several sections of the WCML form part of thesuburban 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 rail freight routes in Europe, carrying 40% of all UK traffic. The line is the principal rail freight corridor linking the European mainland (via theChannel Tunnel) through London andSouth East England to theWest Midlands,North West England and Scotland.^[5] The line has been declared a strategic European route and designated a priorityTrans-European Networks (TENS) route. A number of railway writers refer to it as "The Premier line".^[6]

The WCML was not originally conceived as a single route, but was built as a patchwork of local lines by several companies which were linked together. The largest of these amalgamated in 1846 to create theLondon and North Western Railway (LNWR), which then gradually absorbed most of the others; the exceptions were theCaledonian Railway in Scotland and theNorth 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 theLondon, Midland and Scottish Railway (LMS), when the railway companies were grouped under theRailways Act 1921. The LMS itself wasnationalised in 1947 to form part ofBritish 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 overheadelectrification of the route, and the introduction of modern inter-city passenger services at speeds of up to 110 mph (177 km/h).^[7] Further abortive modernisation schemes were proposed, including the introduction of theAdvanced Passenger Train (APT) in the 1980s; this was an ill-fated high speed train which usedtilting technology, which was required to allow faster speeds on the curving route, and the abortiveInterCity 250 project in the early 1990s. Further modernisation of the route occurred during the 2000s in the period ofprivatisation, which saw speeds raised further to 125 mph (201 km/h) and the introduction of tiltingClass 390Pendolino trains.

As much of the line has a maximum speed of 125 mph (201 km/h), it meets theEuropean Union's definition of anupgraded high-speed line,^[8] although only Class 390Pendolinos with tilting mechanisms operated byAvanti West Coast travel at that speed. Non-tilting trains are limited to 110 mph (177 km/h).^[2]

The spine betweenLondon Euston andGlasgow Central is 399 miles (642 km) long,^[1] with principalInterCity stations atWatford Junction,Milton Keynes Central,Rugby,Stafford,Crewe,Warrington Bank Quay,Wigan North Western,Preston,Lancaster,Oxenholme Lake District,Penrith andCarlisle.

The spine^[9] has bypasses serving the major towns and cities ofNorthampton,Coventry, Birmingham andWolverhampton. Spurs serveStoke-on-Trent,Macclesfield,Stockport, Manchester,Runcorn andLiverpool. There is also a branch toEdinburgh, atCarstairs in Scotland, although this is not the most direct route between London and Edinburgh.^[10] It provides a direct connection between the WCML and theEast Coast Main Line.

Originally, the lines betweenRugby,Birmingham andStafford were part of the main spine, until theTrent 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 servesNorthampton. There is a spur atWeaver Junction north ofCrewe toLiverpool.Weaver Junction on this branch is the oldestflyover-type junction in Britain. A spur branches off from Crewe to serveManchester. 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.^{[citation needed]}

The geography of the route was determined by avoiding large estates and hilly areas, such as theChilterns (Tring Cutting); theWatford Gap and Northampton uplands, followed by the Trent Valley; the mountains ofCumbria, with asummit at Shap; andBeattock Summit inSouth Lanarkshire. This legacy means the WCML has limitations as a long-distance main line, with lower maximum speeds than theEast Coast Main Line (ECML) route, the other main line between London and Scotland. The principal solution has been the adoption oftilting trains, initially withBritish Rail'sAPT and latterly theClass 390Pendolino trains constructed byAlstom and introduced byVirgin Trains in 2003. A 'conventional' attempt to raise line speeds as part of theInterCity 250 upgrade in the 1990s would have relaxed maximumcant levels on curves and seen some track realignments; this scheme faltered for lack of funding in the economic climate of the time.^{[citation needed]}

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 pioneeringLiverpool and Manchester Railway in 1830, schemes were mooted to build more inter-city lines. The business practice of theearly 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 theGrand Junction Railway connecting the Liverpool and Manchester Railway to Birmingham, viaWarrington,Crewe,Stafford andWolverhampton, opening in 1837. The following year theLondon and Birmingham Railway was completed, connecting to the capital viaCoventry,Rugby and theWatford Gap. The Grand Junction and London and Birmingham railways shared a Birmingham terminus atCurzon Street station, so that it was now possible to travel by train between London, Birmingham, Manchester and Liverpool.^[11][12] These lines, together with theTrent Valley Railway (between Rugby and Stafford, avoiding Birmingham) and theManchester and Birmingham Railway (Crewe–Manchester), amalgamated operations in1846 to form theLondon and North Western Railway (LNWR). Three other companies, theNorth Union Railway (Parkside–Wigan–Preston), theLancaster and Preston Junction Railway and theLancaster and Carlisle Railway, completed a through route toCarlisle by the end of 1846, these were later absorbed by the LNWR.^[13]

North of Carlisle, theCaledonian Railway remained independent, and openedits main line from Carlisle toBeattock on 10 September 1847, connecting to Edinburgh in February 1848, and to Glasgow in November 1849.^[14] 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.^[15] The first direct London to Glasgow trains in the 1850s took 12.5 hours to complete the 400-mile (640 km) journey.^[16]

Another important section, theNorth Staffordshire Railway (NSR), which openedits route in 1848 fromMacclesfield (connecting with the LNWR from Manchester) to Stafford andColwich Junction viaStoke-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.^[17]

The final sections of what is now the WCML were put in place over the following decades. A direct branch toLiverpool, bypassing the earlier Liverpool and Manchester line, was opened in 1869, fromWeaver Junction north ofCrewe toDitton Junction via theRuncorn Railway Bridge over theRiver Mersey.^[18]

At the northern end, the Caledonian replaced its originalSouthside terminus in Glasgow, with the much larger and better locatedGlasgow Central in 1879.^[14]

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, theNorthampton Loop, was built, opening in 1881, connectingNorthampton before rejoining the main line at Rugby.^[12]

The entire route came under the control of theLondon, Midland and Scottish Railway (LMS) on 1 January 1923 when the railway companies weregrouped, under theRailways Act 1921.

The LMS competed fiercely with the rivalLNER'sEast Coast Main Line for London to Scotland traffic (seeRace 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 1937–39Coronation Scot, hauled bystreamlinedPrincess Coronation Class locomotives, which made the journey in 6 hours 30 minutes,^[19] making it competitive with the rival East CoastFlying 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.^[20])

In 1948, followingnationalisation, the line came under the control ofBritish Railways'London Midland andScottish Regions, when the term "West Coast Main Line" came into use officially,^{[citation needed]} although it had been used informally since at least 1912.^[21]

As part of the1955 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, andelectrification 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 theBirmingham branch, and the routes to Manchester viaStoke-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, betweenWeaver Junction (where thebranch to Liverpool diverges) and Glasgow, and this was completed on 6 May 1974.^[9][22][23] The announcement, after five years of uncertainty, was made 48 hours before the writ was issued for aby-election in South Ayrshire.^[24]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.^[24]

A new set of high-speed long-distance services was introduced in 1966, launching British Rail's highly successful "Inter-City" brand^[25] (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-dailyManchester Pullman).^[26] 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.^[27] The service proved to be so popular that in 1972 these InterCity service frequencies were doubled to deal with increased demand.^[28] With the completion of the northern electrification in 1974, London to Glasgow journey times were reduced from 6 hours to 5.^[9] Along with electrification came modern coaches such as theMark 2 and from 1974 thefully integral, air-conditionedMark 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 byClass 86 andClass 87 electric locomotives, came to be seen as BR's flagship passenger service. Passenger traffic on the WCML doubled between 1962 and 1975.^[29]

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 wereBirmingham New Street,Manchester Piccadilly,Stafford,Coventry andLondon Euston. To enable the latter, the famousDoric Arch portal into the originalPhilip Hardwick-designed terminus was demolished in 1962 amid much public outcry.^[30]

Electrification of theEdinburgh branch was carried out in the late 1980s as part of theEast Coast Main Line electrification project in order to allowInterCity 225 sets to access Glasgow via Carstairs Junction.^[31]

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 andWorkington;Huddersfield,Bradford Interchange,Leeds andHalifax (via Stockport);Blackpool South;Colne (via Stockport);Morecambe andHeysham;Southport (viaEdge Hill);Blackburn andStranraer Harbour. Notable also is the loss of through services between Liverpool and Scotland; however these were restored byTransPennine Express in 2019.^[32]

British Rail introduced theAdvanced 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 VirginPendolino trains.^[33] In the late 1980s, British Rail put forward a track realignment scheme to raise speeds on the WCML; a proposed project calledInterCity 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.

As part of theprivatisation of British Rail in the 1990s, the infrastructure was taken over in 1994 by the private companyRailtrack, which later collapsed in 2002, and was replaced by the not-for-profit companyNetwork Rail. WCML's InterCity services became part of theInterCity West Coastfranchise, which was won byVirgin Trains who took over in 1997.^[34] In 2019,Avanti West Coast won the newWest Coast Partnership franchise, taking over from Virgin Trains.

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 tiltingPendolino 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".^[35] Central to the implementation of the plan was the adoption ofmoving block signalling, which had never been proven on anything more than simplemetro lines andlight 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.^[36] The bankruptcy of Railtrack in 2001 and its replacement byNetwork Rail following theHatfield 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.^[37]

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).^[38] 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.The decade-long modernisation project was finally completed in December 2008.^[39] 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.^[40] 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.^[41]

The main spine of the WCML isquadruple track on almost all of the route from London to south ofWinsford. AtHanslope Junction (nearMilton Keynes), the line divides with one pair going direct toRugby and the other pair diverting viaNorthampton 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 betweenWinsford and Hartford. The line becomes quadruple again betweenWarrington Bank Quay andWigan North Western, except for a short section via the Golborne cut-off where it has two tracks. 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 betweenGlasgow Central andRutherglen

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

The complete route has been cleared for W10loading gauge freight traffic, allowing use of higher 9 ft 6 in (2,896 mm) hi-cubeshipping containers.^[42][43] The route passes through Nuneaton and the Midlands and this area has been called the "Golden Triangle of Logistics".^[44]

Nearly all of the WCML iselectrified withoverhead line equipment at25 kV AC.^[45] Several of the formerly unelectrified branches of the WCML in theNorth West have recently been electrified such as thePreston toBlackpool 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.^[46] Wigan to Liverpool via St Helens Shaw Street and St Helens Junction were also electrified in the 2010-2017 timeframe.

TheWigan North Western toLostock Parkway branch is also in the process of being electrified.^[47]

This sectionneeds additional citations forverification. Please helpimprove this article byadding citations to reliable sources in this section. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed.(March 2017) (Learn how and when to remove this message)

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-strongPendolino fleet, plus three tiltingSuperVoyager diesel sets, were bought for use on these InterCity services. One Pendolino was written off in 2007 following theGrayrigg 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 thePendolino fleet; from 2013 onward Class 390 sets have been routinely deployed on Edinburgh/Glasgow–Birmingham services.

By 2012, the WCMLPendolino 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,^[48] and any effect of this on the timetable for introducing the new coaches remains unclear.

Previous franchiseesCentral Trains andSilverlink (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. FollowingGovia's successful bid for the West Midlands franchise in 2007, another 37 Class 350 units were ordered to replace its older fleet ofClass 321s.

The older BR-vintage locomotive-hauled passenger rolling stock still has a limited role on the WCML, with the overnightCaledonian Sleeper services between London Euston and Scotland using Mark 3 and Mark 2 coaches until their replacement withMark 5 stock in October 2019.^[49] Virgin also retained and refurbished one of the original Mark 3 rakes with aDriving Van Trailer and aClass 90 locomotive as a standby set to cover forPendolino breakdowns. This set was retired from service on 25 October^{[year missing]} with a rail tour the following day. In November 2014, the "Pretendolino" was transferred to Norwich Crown Point depot to enter service withAbellio Greater Anglia having come to the end of its agreed lease to Virgin Trains.^{[citation needed]}

In September 2022, following thedeath 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.

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 andCarstairs
	Class 320/3						North Clyde Line Argyle Line Whifflet Line
	Class 320/4			100	161
	Class 323			90	145	Northern Trains	Crewe–Manchester Piccadilly Stoke-on-Trent–Manchester Piccadilly
CAF Civity	Class 331			100	161		Crewe–Manchester Piccadilly Stoke-on-Trent–Manchester Piccadilly Blackpool North toManchester Airport viaPreston
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 viaTrent 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	Class 730/0			90	145	West Midlands Railway	Birmingham New Street–Wolverhampton,Birmingham International andCoventry
	Class 730/2			110	177	London Northwestern Railway	London Euston–Tring, Milton Keynes Central, Northampton and Birmingham New Street Birmingham New Street–Liverpool Lime Street Crewe–London Euston via theTrent Valley line

Family	Class	Image	Type	Top speed		Operator	Routes
				mph	km/h
Bombardier Voyager	Class 220		DEMU	125	200	CrossCountry[50]	Birmingham New Street–Manchester Piccadilly Glasgow Central–Edinburgh Waverley before joining or leaving the ECML
	Class 221
Alstom Pendolino	Class 390		EMU			Avanti West Coast	London Euston–Manchester Piccadilly London Euston–Liverpool Lime Street London Euston–Blackpool North London Euston–Birmingham New Street and the West Midlands London Euston–Glasgow Central and Edinburgh Waverley
CAF Civity	Class 397					TransPennine Express	Manchester Airport and Liverpool Lime Street–Glasgow Central and Edinburgh Waverley
Hitachi AT300	Class 802Nova 1		Bi-mode multiple unit
	Class 805Evero					Avanti West Coast	London Euston–Chester London Euston–Blackpool North London Euston–Wrexham General London Euston–Liverpool Lime Street London Euston–Wolverhampton London Euston–Holyhead
	Class 807		EMU			Avanti West Coast[51]	London Euston–Blackpool North London Euston–Liverpool Lime Street London Euston–Wolverhampton London Euston–Birmingham New Street London Euston–Manchester Piccadilly

Class	Image	Type	Top speed		Operator	Routes
			mph	km/h
Class 92		Electric locomotive	87	140	GB Railfreight, on behalf ofCaledonian Sleeper	London Euston–Glasgow Central or Edinburgh Waverley
Mark 5 coach		Lounge Seated sleeper Sleeping car	100	161	Caledonian Sleeper	AllCaledonian Sleeper services[52]

The current principal long distancetrain operating company on the West Coast Main Line isAvanti West Coast, which runs the majority of long-distance services under theWest 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 plannedHigh 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 asAvanti West Coast) was the successful bidder.Avanti West Coast commenced operating the franchise on 8 December 2019.^[53][54]

Avanti operates nine trains per hour on the WCML fromLondon Euston, with three trains per hour toManchester Piccadilly, two trains per hour toBirmingham New Street, one train per hour to each ofChester,Liverpool Lime Street andGlasgow Central via the Trent Valley (one Birmingham New Street train per hour continues to Scotland viaWolverhampton alternating betweenEdinburgh Waverley or {Glasgow Central), five trains on a weekday toHolyhead and three trains on a weekday toBangor. There is also one weekday train in to/fromWrexham General. Additional peak terminating services run between London Euston andPreston, Wolverhampton,Crewe,Birmingham International,Lancaster andCarlisle. 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 andBlackpool North.

West Midlands Trains is the current principal commuter and outer suburban operator on the route, and provides some long-distance services which terminate at London Euston. They are all operated under theLondon Northwestern Railway brand. There are two trains an hour from London to Birmingham; one calling at the majority of stationsen route and one calling only atWatford Junction,Milton Keynes Central,Northampton,Rugby,Coventry,Canley,Tile Hill,Berkswell,Hampton-in-Arden, Birmingham International andMarston 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 theAvanti West Coast fast service. There is also an hourly service from London Euston to Northampton calling atLeighton Buzzard,Bletchley, Milton Keynes Central andWolverton.

West Midlands Trains also operates an hourly service between London Euston and Crewe, serving Watford Junction, Milton Keynes Central, Rugby,Nuneaton,Atherstone,Tamworth,Lichfield Trent Valley,Rugeley Trent Valley,Stafford and Crewe. Some services also call atHemel Hempstead,Berkhamsted,Tring,Cheddington, Leighton Buzzard and Bletchley. Trains also call atLong Buckby (Sundays only). This service was introduced in 2008 to coincide with the withdrawal of the similarVirgin Trains service. Under 'Project 110' this service was reconfigured in December 2012 and to operate 10 mph faster using enhancedBritish Rail Class 350/1 units.

A service to Tring is provided half-hourly from Euston; one calling atHarrow & Wealdstone,Bushey, Watford Junction,Kings Langley,Apsley, Hemel Hempstead and Berkhamsted and one calling atWembley 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, {erkhamstead, Tring, Cheddington, Leighton Buzzard and Bletchley.

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

After theCentral 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 provides services along the WCML betweenManchester Airport or Liverpool Lime Street, and Glasgow or Edinburgh (alternating serving each every 2 hours).

Southern provides an hourly service betweenEast Croydon and Watford Junction, which calls at all stations on theWest London Line, thenWembley Central, Harrow & Wealdstone and Watford Junction.

CrossCountry operates services fromPlymouth,Bournemouth andBristol 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 toPaignton and Plymouth, and on summer weekends toPenzance andNewquay. CrossCountry services betweenReading andNewcastle 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 operates services on sections of the West Coast Main Line for example near Glasgow withArgyle Line trains running on the section fromCambuslang toCarluke before veering off on the short branch toLanark or continuing toCarstairs. TheNorth Berwick Line runs from Glasgow Central High Level viaMotherwell to Carstairs and on toHaymarket, Edinburgh Waverley andNorth Berwick.

AtCarlisle theGlasgow South Western Line runs for several miles before heading west towardsDumfries,Kilmarnock,Ayr andStranraer.

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

A number of items of work are under way or proposed to accommodate additional freight traffic between theHaven ports and the Midlands including track dualling. The 'Nuneaton North Chord' was completed and opened on 15 November 2012.^[55][56] The chord will ease access for some trains between theBirmingham 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.^[57]

A plannedflying junction and 2.5 mi (4.0 km) track diversion in theStafford –Norton Bridge area. This replaced the previous level junction where theStafford 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. 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. Additional freight capacity was also provided around Stafford station. 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.^[58]

Re-signalling work the WCML spur track from Liverpool toWeaver Junction was underway in 2016. Signal control moved to the Manchester Rail Operating Centre removing five local signal boxes. The signalling improvements are intended to improve journey times on this section of line.^[59]

In 2007, Virgin Trains put forward plans to increase the line speed in places on the WCML – particularly along sections of theTrent Valley Line between Stafford and Rugby from 125 to 135 mph (201 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 forcab 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 Trains' aspirations;^[61] however, in November 2009Chris 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).^[62] 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.^[63]

In theLondon & South East Rail Utilisation Strategy (RUS) document published byNetwork Rail in 2011, a proposal was put forward to extend theCrossrail lines, currently under construction in central London, along the West Coast Main Line as far asTring andMilton Keynes Central. The scheme would involve the construction of a tunnel in the vicinity of the proposed new station atOld Oak Common in West London connecting the Crossrail route to the WCML slow lines with a potential for interchange with the plannedHigh Speed 2 line. Under current plans, a proportion of westbound Crossrail trains will terminate atPaddington 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.^[60] In August 2014, the government launched a study into the Crossrail extension.^[64]

This sectionneeds additional citations forverification. Please helpimprove this article byadding citations to reliable sources in this section. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed.(February 2025) (Learn how and when to remove this message)

This section needs to beupdated. The reason given is: Network Rail routes have changed hence mentions of routes are all out of date. All references about previous routes are dead. Please help update this article to reflect recent events or newly available information.(May 2020)

In June 2019Network Rail formed five regions for helping to support Britain's railways.^[67] 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 initalics 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 independentWatford DC Line, a local stopping service now part ofLondon 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 bySuper Voyager tilting diesel trains. Formerly in the case of one of the Holyhead services, aPendolino set was hauled from Crewe by aClass 57/3diesel locomotive.

v t e Rugby–Birmingham–Stafford line
Legend
and other local routes
toCrewe Stafford toStoke-on-Trent Penkridge Colwich Junction Colwich toShrewsbury Rugeley Trent Valley Wolverhampton Walsall Coseley Tipton Armitage Dudley Port Sandwell & Dudley toBurton upon Trent Smethwick Galton Bridge Lichfield Trent Valley Smethwick Rolfe Street toBromsgrove &Redditch Birmingham New Street Aston Adderley Park toBurton upon Trent Water Orton Tamworth Stechford Lea Hall Polesworth Marston Green Atherstone Birmingham International Hampton-in-Arden Nuneaton Berkswell Tile Hill toLeicester Canley Bedworth Bulkington Coventry Shilton Brinklow toLeamington Spa Rugby toNorthampton toLondon 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:

Major civil engineering structures on the West Coast Main Line include the following.^{[68][69][70][71][72]} 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 nowlisted buildings in recognition of their historic and engineering interest.

• 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

• 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.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: publisher location (link)
• "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). 1966–1967.
  • 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.

• 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.

Wikimedia Commons has media related toWest Coast Main Line.

• 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 GlasgowArchived 9 October 2011 at theWayback Machine
• London to Glasgow in five minutes – BBC video, December 2008
• Origins of 1849 stretch of line from Glasgow to CarlisleArchived 14 October 2013 at theWayback Machine

• West Coast Main Line
• Main inter-regional railway lines in Great Britain
• Railway lines in London
• Railway lines in North West England
• Railway lines in South East England
• Railway lines in Scotland
• Railway lines in Wales
• Railway lines in the West Midlands (region)
• Rail transport in Bedfordshire
• Rail transport in Birmingham, West Midlands
• Rail transport in Buckinghamshire
• Rail transport in Cheshire
• Rail transport in Coventry
• Rail transport in Cumbria
• Rail transport in Greater Manchester
• Rail transport in Hertfordshire
• Rail transport in Lancashire
• Rail transport in Merseyside
• Rail transport in Northamptonshire
• Rail transport in Scotland
• Rail transport in Staffordshire
• Rail transport in Warwickshire
• Rail transport in the West Midlands (county)
• Rail transport in Wolverhampton
• Standard gauge railways in England
• Standard gauge railways in Scotland
• Transport in the London Borough of Brent
• Transport in the London Borough of Camden
• Transport in the London Borough of Harrow
• 25 kV AC railway electrification

• Articles with short description
• Short description is different from Wikidata
• Use British English from December 2022
• All Wikipedia articles written in British English
• Use dmy dates from February 2025
• All articles with unsourced statements
• Articles with unsourced statements from March 2024
• Articles with unsourced statements from May 2022
• Articles with unsourced statements from November 2010
• Articles needing additional references from March 2017
• All articles needing additional references
• Articles with unsourced statements from February 2025
• Articles needing additional references from February 2025
• Wikipedia articles in need of updating from May 2020
• All Wikipedia articles in need of updating
• Articles with OS grid coordinates
• CS1 maint: publisher location
• Commons category link from Wikidata
• Pages using gadget WikiMiniAtlas
• Articles using KML from Wikidata
• Webarchive template wayback links