109-659: The Hertford loop line (also known colloquially as the Hertford Loop) is a branch of the East Coast Main Line , part of the Northern City Line commuter route to London for Hertford and other Hertfordshire towns and an occasional diversion route for the main line. The line is part of the Network Rail Strategic Route 8 , SRS 08.03 and is classified as a London and South East Commuter line. The line
218-514: A Class 41 (an HST prototype) achieved a top speed of 143 mph (230 km/h) in a test run. In the 1980s, the line was electrified and InterCity 225 trains introduced. These have in turn been largely replaced by Class 800 and Class 801 units. The November 2021 Integrated Rail Plan for the North and Midlands stated that the linespeed would be upgraded to 140 mph (225 km/h). The line links London, South East England , East Anglia and
327-465: A camshaft -controlled resistance system with series and parallel motor groupings and weak field steps. Originally the heating in the motor coaches was provided by passing air over the hot traction and braking resistors in addition to conventional heaters, but this feature was later taken out of use and the pneumatic dampers were disabled. Great Northern and Southern retrofitted their units with cab air conditioning. 313s had rheostatic braking (which
436-475: A loading gauge of W9 and a maximum line speed of 75 mph (121 km/h). Grade-separated junctions connect each end of the northbound track with the main line. All stations are long enough to accept two three-car (20m) EMUs . Not all stations are long enough for newly introduced 6-car EMUs, but their walk-through design allows for access. Major civil engineering structures on the Hertford Line include
545-721: A 1904 proposal by the Great Northern Railway to electrify its suburban services from London. A short stretch of the ECML in the Newcastle area was electrified with a third rail in 1904, as part of the North Eastern Railway 's suburban Tyneside Electrics scheme. Following the success of this scheme, in 1919 the North Eastern Railway, planned to electrify 80 miles (130 km) of the main line between York and Newcastle;
654-548: A 58 per cent increase in passengers. The programme also electrified the Edinburgh-Carstairs branch of the WCML, to allow InterCity 225 sets to access Glasgow Central , with the added benefit of creating an electrified path to/from Edinburgh on the WCML from the south. In total the electrification programme covered roughly 1,400 single-track miles (2,300 km) and required major infrastructure changes, including resignalling of
763-408: A distinct buzzing noise as an arc is struck and subsequently extinguished as the pantograph lowers. This prevents the driver from powering into the tunnel with the pantograph raised which would cause damage to the train as the pantograph ran off the end of the overhead line and struck the tunnel portal. On journeys from Moorgate traction power is maintained into Drayton Park for the rising gradient. Once
872-502: A heavy train over long distances, immediately cut over one hour from the standard London to Edinburgh journey time, from seven hours to under six. Further improvements to the infrastructure meant that by the mid-1970s, another half-hour had been cut from the journey time. In the years following the introduction of the Deltics, sections of the ECML were upgraded for trains running at speeds of up to 100 mph (160 km/h). On 15 June 1965,
981-408: A large role in the decision to proceed. Construction began on the second phase in 1985. In 1986 the section to Huntingdon was completed; Leeds was reached in 1988, then York in 1989 and Edinburgh in 1991. Electric services on the full length of the line began on 8 July 1991, eight weeks later than scheduled. Significant traffic increases occurred in the two years after completion; one station recorded
1090-474: A new 313/2 subclass. The full refurbishment began in June 2010 at Wabtec Doncaster and included new flooring and carpet, new seating, improved space for cycles and passengers in wheelchairs, and the fitting of a Passenger Information System . Additional modifications were carried out at Stewarts Lane TMD including the installation of cab air-conditioning, sanding equipment, a 750 V busline , shore supply sockets and
1199-501: A new intermediate trailer carrying a pantograph and AC to DC transformer was built and inserted into the two-car Class 446 prototype, which was then tested on AC-electrified track for six months in 1975. This three-car arrangement, with driving-motor vehicles 'sandwiching' the trailer carrying the AC collection equipment, was subsequently adopted as the basic layout for the Class 313 design. Given
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#17328518380601308-582: A new station at Hertford North was opened. The line was electrified in 1977. The line was also used frequently during the Second World War as the Welwyn/Digswell Viaduct was at high risk from bombs. The Hertford Line leaves the East Coast Main Line at Langley Junction, just south of Stevenage . It rejoins the East Coast Main Line at Wood Green South Junction, north of Alexandra Palace . Great Northern operates suburban services along
1417-456: A pair of Napier Deltic engines that had been developed for fast torpedo boats. The Class 55 'Deltics' were for a time the fastest and most powerful diesel locomotives in service in Britain, capable of reaching 100 mph (160 km/h) and providing up to 3,300 hp (2,500 kW). When introduced into service in 1961, the Class 55's ability to rapidly accelerate and maintain high speed with
1526-418: A raised train-stop arm at red signals and will apply the brakes if the train passes one. The units were originally numbered 313001–313064. Each unit was formed of two outer driving motors and an intermediate trailer with a pantograph. This was a reversal of the practice started in the 1960s, where the motors and pantograph were on an intermediate vehicle, with the outer vehicles being driving trailers. Part of
1635-623: A shortened InterCity 125 train of two Class 43 power cars and three coaches during a southbound run from Darlington to York. At least two other trains have subsequently recorded higher speeds, but as of February 2023 the InterCity 125 record remains the highest to have been officially verified. A British speed record for electric locomotives of 161.7 mph (260.2 km/h) was achieved on 17 September 1989, also at Stoke Bank, by Class 91 locomotive number 91010. On 26 September 1991, an InterCity 225 shortened electric locomotive train
1744-488: A special design of overhead wiring was developed for use on the visually-sensitive Royal Border Bridge , as well as the Croxdale and Durham City viaducts . Elsewhere the standard Mk. 3B equipment was deployed. The electrification was completed at a cost of £344.4 million (at 1983 prices, equivalent to £1169.3 million in 2023), a minor overrun against its authorised expenditure of £331.9 million. Of
1853-426: A steady green aspect the driver would reduce speed to no greater than 125 mph, and thus be ready to react to subsequent signals in the same manner as when driving a lower-speed train. The testing found, however, that drivers couldn't be expected to consistently and accurately interpret and respond to lineside signals when driving at the higher speed, and regulations were later changed throughout Britain to require
1962-544: A test vehicle for the European Rail Traffic Management System (ERTMS) installation on the Hertford Loop . The unit was repainted into Network Rail's yellow house colours and internally refurbished at Alstom 's Wembley Intercity Depot , to include a new driving desk, technician's workstation, kitchen and toilet facilities, and the necessary ERTMS equipment. The work was completed in June 2013 and
2071-518: Is 750 V DC third rail , formerly part of the London Underground's Northern line , and although built to full loading gauge there is insufficient clearance to add catenary. Trains bound for Moorgate approach Drayton Park on a falling gradient, drawing power via the pantograph. After coming to a stand at the platform the driver opens the vacuum circuit breaker , lowers the pantograph and changes over to DC. Whilst at Drayton Park,
2180-456: Is a reversing siding to the north of Bowes Park which is occasionally used to reverse London North Eastern Railway trains heading for Bounds Green Depot . There are also bay platforms at Hertford North , Stevenage, and Gordon Hill , the latter acting as a terminus during peak hours and night only. The line is about 24 miles (39 km) long, is double track throughout and is electrified at 25 kV AC using overhead line equipment . It has
2289-709: Is carried along its route by several bridges and viaducts which are recognised as architecturally significant listed structures ; the longest of which is the 659-metre-long (2,162 ft) Royal Border Bridge at Berwick-upon-Tweed . Others include Digswell Viaduct , near Welwyn Garden City , at 475 m (1,558 ft), the Ouseburn Viaduct in Newcastle at 280 m (920 ft), Durham Viaduct at 240 m (790 ft), and Chester Burn Viaduct in Chester-le-Street at 230 m (750 ft). The 350-metre-long (1,150 ft) King Edward VII Bridge in Newcastle
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#17328518380602398-543: Is currently limiting speeds to 125 mph. There are currently no plans to retrofit ERTMS equipment to the InterCity 225 fleet, as they are expected to be withdrawn before the removal of the lineside signals; this means they will never reach their design speed of 140 mph (225 km/h) in service. The line is mainly quadruple track from London to Stoke Tunnel, south of Grantham , with two double track sections: one between Digswell Jn & Woolmer Green Jn, where
2507-565: Is on fairly straight track on the flatter, eastern side of England, through Lincolnshire and Cambridgeshire , though there are significant speed restrictions because of the line's curvature particularly north of Darlington and between Doncaster and Leeds. By contrast, the West Coast Main Line crosses the Trent Valley and the mountains of Cumbria , with more curvature and had a lower speed limit of 110 mph (180 km/h). Speeds on
2616-548: Is provided by Hull Trains , Grand Central and Lumo . The ECML is part of Network Rail 's Strategic Route G, which comprises five separate lines: The core route is the main line between King's Cross and Edinburgh, the Hertford Loop is used for local and freight services, and the Northern City Line provides an inner-suburban service to the city. The line has engineers line references (ELR) ECM1 to ECM9. The ECML
2725-500: The Colchester – Clacton / Walton route, which has no DC sections; they had the shoegear removed, and were renumbered from 313061–313064 to 313096–313099. Following an accident involving one unit at Walton-on-the-Naze in August 1987, they were replaced by Class 310 units in 1988. Units 313001–313016 had shoegear fitted to the outer bogies in addition, and were transferred to
2834-527: The East Midlands , with Yorkshire , the North East and Scotland, and is important to their local economies. It carries commuter traffic in north London as well as cross-country, commuter and local passenger services, and freight . In 1997, operations were privatised. The primary long-distance operator is London North Eastern Railway , but open-access competition on services to Northern England and Scotland
2943-685: The Eastern Region , the North Eastern Region , and the Scottish Region (the former two were merged together in 1967). In the early 1960s, steam locomotives were replaced by diesel-electrics , amongst them the Deltic , a powerful high-speed locomotive developed and built by English Electric . The prototype was successful and a fleet of 22 locomotives were built and put into BR service for express traffic. Designated Class 55 , they were powered by
3052-544: The Euston – Watford DC route where there are long gaps in the third rail. They were renumbered into a new 313/1 subclass, leaving the unmodified units in subclass 313/0. Following the privatisation of British Rail , ownership of the Class 313 fleet passed to leasing company Eversholt Rail Group . In June 2012 Eversholt sold twenty units (313121 and the nineteen 313/2 units) to newly formed lessor Beacon Rail . Network Rail leased Beacon Rail-owned unit 313121 as
3161-527: The London, Midland and Scottish Railway (LMS) for long-distance passenger traffic between London and Scotland. The LNER's chief mechanical engineer Nigel Gresley designed iconic Pacific steam locomotives including Flying Scotsman and Mallard , the latter of which achieved a world record speed for a steam locomotive, 126 mph (203 km/h) on the Grantham-to-Peterborough section. In 1948,
3270-673: The Midland Main Line . The infrastructure supported speeds of up to 140 mph, allowing a non-stop run of three hours and 29 minutes between London and Edinburgh on 26 September 1991. As part of testing done to support safe operation the increased maximum speed, BR experimented in 1988 with using a fifth signalling aspect – flashing green – on the fast lines between Peterborough and Stoke Tunnel. The flashing green aspect appeared at signals preceding one displaying an ordinary steady green aspect, and authorised running at up to 140 mph. Upon encountering
3379-494: The National Coal Board to pay for the construction of the 14-mile-long (23 km) Selby Diversion . Construction commenced in 1980, and was completed in late 1983 at a cost of £63 million (equivalent to £214 million in 2023). The new section diverged from the original alignment at Temple Hirst Junction, north of Doncaster, bypassed Selby station and the area to be undermined by coal workings, and then joined
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3488-639: The Penmanshiel tunnel collapse in the Scottish Borders in 1979 necessitated urgent works to divert the line around the irreparably-damaged tunnel; ultimately the line was closed for five months and around 1,100 yards (1 km) of the original alignment had to be abandoned. In the late 1970s in the north of England, the development of the Selby Coalfield – and the anticipated subsidence that might result from its workings – led
3597-541: The West Coast Main Line (WCML) and ECML; a detailed plan drawn up in 1957 gave a completion date of 1970 for ECML electrification. However, the East Coast authorities decided that they could not wait over a decade for service improvements, and instead decided to invest in high-speed diesel traction, the Deltic and High Speed Train, as an interim measure to implement improved services, whilst West Coast electrification proceeded, and
3706-521: The West Coast Main Line (WCML) were increased with the introduction of tilting Pendolino trains and now match the 125 mph speeds on the ECML. The line's current principal operator is London North Eastern Railway (LNER), whose services include regular long-distance expresses between King's Cross, the East Midlands, Yorkshire, the North East of England and Scotland. LNER is operated on behalf of
3815-509: The 313/0s, they were not renumbered. The units were then transferred to Great Northern on 14 September 2014 when the Thameslink and Great Northern franchise was merged into the Thameslink, Southern and Great Northern franchise. Although the majority of the route is 25 kV 50 Hz AC overhead line equipment, the Northern City Line route between Moorgate and Drayton Park
3924-463: The Class 313 fleet at the May 2023 timetable change. Three units – 313202, 313214, and 313217 – had already been removed from service by this point, and on 10 March 2023 they were dispatched for scrapping at Eastleigh Works . A farewell railtour was held on 29 April 2023 using units 313201 and 313213, which raised approximately £25,000 for charity. The final public services with
4033-480: The Class 313 order, as none capable of running on both systems existed at the time. Given this requirement, the opportunity was taken to further develop the Class 445 and 446 prototypes that had been produced by British Rail Engineering Limited in 1971, and which were considered by BR to be "the basis of all [its] future suburban stock". As these prototypes had been configured for use only on third-rail electrification,
4142-718: The Coastway lines was controversial, as they were much older and slower than the 377s and were missing certain on board facilities like air conditioning and toilets. The rail union RMT criticised the move and many publications, including the BBC, questioned the introduction of 35-year-old trains in place of much newer units. These trains were deployed on services that operated predominantly over short distances, such as Brighton to Hove and Brighton to Seaford, and some longer (but stopping) services that provided predominantly local links that ran alongside 377s on faster services. The introduction of 313s on
4251-454: The Coastway routes facilitated the delivery of additional capacity on high-demand suburban routes in South London. In December 2017, it was announced that unit 313201 – originally 313001, the first and oldest Class 313 unit – had been repainted into British Rail's Rail blue livery, as originally used on the units (though, to meet modern accessibility requirements,
4360-724: The Department for Transport by a consortium of Arup Group , Ernst & Young and SNC-Lavalin Rail & Transit , which took over from Virgin Trains East Coast on 24 June 2018. Other operators of passenger trains on the line are: Eurostar previously held the rights to run five trains a day on the line for services from mainland Europe to cities north of London, as part of the Regional Eurostar plan, which never came to fruition. The overnight Caledonian Sleeper occasionally uses
4469-422: The ECML represented the best value by far. Its in-house forecasts determined that increases in revenue and considerable reductions in energy and maintenance costs would occur by electrifying the line. In 1984, the decision was made to commence the electrification of the rest of the ECML to Edinburgh and Leeds. The Secretary of State for Transport Nicholas Ridley and Minister for Railways David Mitchell played
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4578-478: The ECML were offered to bidders as the InterCity East Coast franchise. It was held by Great North Eastern Railway from 1996 until 2007, when the company experienced financial difficulties; the franchise then passed to National Express East Coast until in 2009, when it too encountered financial problems and the government was forced to run the franchise itself as ' East Coast '. Another attempt at returning
4687-501: The ECML when engineering works prevent it from using its normal train path on the WCML. DB Cargo UK , Direct Rail Services , Freightliner and GB Railfreight operate freight services. The ECML is one of the busiest lines on the British rail network and there is insufficient capacity on parts of the line to satisfy all the requirements of both passenger and freight operators. British Rail Class 313 The British Rail Class 313
4796-466: The ECML. LNER's 4468 Mallard set the record for a steam locomotive at 126 mph (203 km/h) whilst descending Stoke Bank on 3 July 1938. The record remains standing today, and a trackside sign was erected in July 1998 at the 90 + 1 ⁄ 4 milepost to commemorate the achievement. The world record for diesel-powered trains was set at 148 mph (238 km/h) on 1 November 1987, by
4905-492: The ECML. Where the existing bridge clearance was insufficient, project managers favoured wherever possible the rebuilding of the bridge rather than the lowering of the track, as the latter requires considerable civil works and can create long-term drainage problems. Where listed buildings were to be affected by the programme, BR sought approval for its plans from the Royal Fine Art Commission . Through this process
5014-472: The Hertford Line between London King's Cross or Moorgate , and Stevenage , Watton-at-Stone or Hertford North . Occasionally, London North Eastern Railway , Hull Trains , Grand Central , Lumo , Thameslink and other faster Great Northern services operate non-stop along the route when diverted off the main section of the East Coast Main Line, due to incidents or planned engineering work. There
5123-536: The LNER and its West Coast competitor, the London, Midland and Scottish Railway (LMS), produced ever-more-powerful express locomotives. This reached its crescendo in the late 1930s, when the LNER introduced the famous streamlined Class A4 locomotives and the LMS countered with its own streamlined Coronation Class – both of which were capable of reaching speeds in excess of 100 mph (160 km/h). The competition
5232-514: The Leeds–York line of the former York and North Midland Railway at Colton Junction, south-west of York. The old line between Selby and York was dismantled and is now a public cycleway. Mining subsidence discovered in 2001 also necessitated the realignment of 1.8 km (1.1 mi) of line at Dolphingstone in East Lothian , between Prestonpans and Wallyford stations. The new alignment takes
5341-540: The NBR between Berwick and Edinburgh (agreed in 1862 but not exercised until 1869). The entire ECML came under control of the London and North Eastern Railway (LNER) in 1923, under the Railways Act 1921 which 'grouped' many small railway companies into four large ones . The LNER was the second largest railway company in Britain, its routes were located to the north and east of London. The LNER appointed Nigel Gresley (who
5450-532: The North and West London Lines was 19 February 2010, although units remained in use as ad-hoc substitutes for unavailable 378/0s. By August 2010 only 313121 and 313123 were still in service with London Overground, as the 378/2 Capitalstars were by then in use on the Watford DC Line. They last ran for London Overground on 13 September 2010. Nineteen 313s that were displaced by Class 378 Capitalstars on London Overground were transferred to Southern , replacing
5559-839: The Silverlink Metro brand on the North London , West London , and Watford DC lines, although they were also regularly used on the St Albans Abbey ;– Watford Junction branch line between 1988 and the end of the Silverlink franchise in 2007. In 2007 they were used on services transferred to London Overground , which replaced Silverlink Metro . London Overground branding was added, and some seats were removed to provide additional standing room. They were replaced by Class 378 trains, with longitudinal seating to improve standing room. The final day of scheduled 313 operation on
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#17328518380605668-520: The Thames . Kettering: Silver Link Publishing Ltd. East Coast Main Line The East Coast Main Line ( ECML ) is a 393-mile long (632 km) electrified railway between its northern terminus at Edinburgh Waverley and southern terminus at London King's Cross station . The key towns and cities of Peterborough , Doncaster , York , Darlington , Durham and Newcastle are on
5777-568: The Thameslink Great Northern franchise, which was won by FirstGroup and became known as First Capital Connect . Three Class 313/1 units were transferred to First Capital Connect from London Overground in September 2010 to augment the Class 313/0 fleet. They were repainted into FCC livery and lightly refreshed internally but retained their original low-backed seating. Despite receiving modifications that made them mechanically identical to
5886-700: The Widened Lines route and the GWML, where ERTMS complements traditional lineside signals, the southern ECML will have its signals removed once the transition period to ERTMS is complete. This means that all trains running on the route will be required to be fitted with the appropriate onboard equipment. The Class 800 series (LNER Azuma Classes 800 and 801 , Hull Trains Paragon Class 802 , Lumo Class 803 ), Thameslink Class 700 and Great Northern Class 717 fleets are fitted with ERTMS equipment from manufacture. The Great Northern Class 387 fleet are undergoing retrofit, with
5995-473: The class operated on Friday 19 May 2023. They were replaced by Class 377 units from Southern's existing fleet. West Anglia Great Northern inherited 41 units operating inner suburban services out of Moorgate and London King's Cross , to Welwyn Garden City , Hertford North , Stevenage , and Letchworth Garden City . From 1 April 2006 the Great Northern (GN) franchise merged with Thameslink to form
6104-428: The complicated approach tracks. The Northern City Line tunnels, however, were still not large enough to be fitted with the same 25 kV 50 Hz AC overhead line electrification system used for the rest of programme, and were instead configured to use the 750 V DC third rail system standard on BR's Southern Region . This in turn required that a new design of EMU be developed for
6213-516: The coupling and uncoupling of units to be performed unassisted by the driver whilst in the cab. The Class 313 units were the oldest EMUs operating on the National Rail network in Great Britain prior to their withdrawal in 2023, having entered service in 1976. However, the even older 1972 Stock and 1973 Stock are still in service on London Underground . Two new fleets were ordered as part of
6322-445: The crossing with a flyover or tunnel, which would increase capacity on both lines, have been proposed on several occasions but are complicated by costs and spatial constraints at the site. With most of the line rated for 125 mph (200 km/h) operation, the ECML was the fastest main line in the UK until the opening of High Speed 1 . The high speeds are possible because much of the line
6431-499: The electrification, authorised in 1971, of suburban services on British Rail's Great Northern route between London King's Cross and Royston , via Welwyn Garden City on the East Coast Main Line and via Hertford North on the Hertford Loop Line . For outer-suburban services – those making limited stops over the length of the route – a fleet of 49 Class 312 units were procured as derivatives of
6540-444: The fastest London–Edinburgh timing down by another hour, to 4 + 1 ⁄ 2 hours. They operated most express passenger services on the line until electrification was completed in 1991, after which they continued in use on services that run off the ECML and onto non-electrified lines. Generally popular with the public, and considered by some to be iconic, they ran on the ECML for 41 years, before being withdrawn in 2019. In 1973,
6649-441: The first second-generation EMUs to be constructed for British Rail and the first British Rail units with both a pantograph for 25 kV 50 Hz AC overhead lines and contact shoe equipment for 750 V DC third rail supply. They were, additionally, the first units in Britain to employ multi-function automatic Tightlock couplers , which include electrical and pneumatic connections allowing
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#17328518380606758-543: The first length of high-speed line, a 17 miles (27 km) stretch between Peterborough and Grantham, was completed. The next section was 12 miles (19 km) of line between Grantham and Newark and more sections were upgraded to enable high speeds along much of the line. Continuing demand for reduced journey times led British Rail to introduce a successor to the Deltics, the InterCity 125 High Speed Train (HST) between 1978 and 1979. These could reach speeds up to 125 mph (201 km/h) on existing infrastructure, bringing
6867-517: The first train sent to Worksop Depot in October 2022. Following its return to service in July 2023, the remaining trains will be retrofitted in Hornsey Depot. The introduction of in-cab signaling will allow the ECML line speed to be increased to 140 mph in some places. The Class 800 series trains were designed to reach this speed, but minor modifications will be required to remove the equipment that
6976-477: The following. Network Rail used Beacon Rail owned Class 313 unit 313121 as a test vehicle for ERTMS on the Hertford Line. The plan involved resignalling a 5 + 1 ⁄ 2 -mile (8.9 km) section of the double track route to allow existing passenger and freight services to work bi-directionally over the up Hertford loop line, freeing the down line for ERTMS tests and evaluation. Hornby, Frank (1995) London Commuter Lines. Volume 1: Main lines north of
7085-438: The form of a gentle curve of up to 77 m (253 ft) towards the south, supported by concrete slabs and other ground stabilisation and reinforcement techniques, and is designed to avoid the need for a permanent speed restriction. It came into use in the last week of April 2003, at a cost of £56 million (equivalent to £92 million in 2023). World speed records for both steam and diesel traction have been set on
7194-581: The franchise to private-sector operation was made by Virgin Trains East Coast in 2015, but this failed in 2018, and thus since then it has been run by the public sector through the government's operator of last resort procedure under the London North Eastern Railway brand. The route of the ECML has been altered or diverted several times, beginning with the opening of the King Edward VII Bridge in Newcastle upon Tyne in 1906. Later,
7303-664: The grounds that it was the first Class 313 unit built, and by extension the first production PEP-derived unit. However, in early 2023, the board decided instead to designate Network Rail's unit 313121, as unlike 313201 it retains its original seating and dual-voltage running equipment. It is preserved at the Fife Heritage Railway in Scotland. 313201 is preserved by the 400 Series Preservation Group and resides at Arlington Fleet Works in Eastleigh. Individual vehicles are numbered in
7412-452: The handles, after which the guard had sole control of the doors. Passenger-operated push-buttons were provided as replacements for the removed handles from March 1977 onwards. Modifications led to renumbering and reclassification. All units originally had shoebeams on the inner bogie of each motor coach, which was sufficient for third-rail duties between Drayton Park and Moorgate. Some units became surplus, and in 1987 four were transferred to
7521-508: The line from Temple Hirst Junction (near Selby in Yorkshire) to the Scottish border; the construction of new signalling centres at Niddrie, York, and Newcastle; the commissioning of ten new connections to the national electricity grid; and structure clearance and electrical immunisation works along the length of the line. Included in the structure clearance works were the 127 overbridges that crossed
7630-604: The line passes over the Digswell Viaduct , Welwyn North station and the two Welwyn tunnels; and one between Fletton Junction (south of Peterborough) and Holme Junction, south of Holme Fen. The route between Holme Junction and Huntingdon is mostly triple track, with the exception of a southbound loop between Conington and Woodwalton. North of Grantham the line is double track except for quadruple-track sections at Retford , around Doncaster, between Colton Junction (south of York), Thirsk and Northallerton , and Newcastle. The line
7739-415: The line. Services were operated using "East Coast Joint Stock" until 1922. The trains were hauled by GNR locomotives between King's Cross and York, which entailed utilisation of GNR running powers over the NER between Shaftholme Junction and York (which had been agreed in 1849 and exercised from the opening of the GNR in 1850); and by NER locomotives between York and Edinburgh, using NER running powers over
7848-525: The line. The line is a key transport artery on the eastern side of Great Britain running broadly parallel to the A1 road . The main line acts as a 'spine' for several diverging branches, serving destinations such as Cambridge , Leeds , Hull , Sunderland and Lincoln , all with direct services to London. In addition, a few ECML services extend beyond Edinburgh to serve other Scottish destinations, such as Stirling , Inverness , Aberdeen or Glasgow Central , although
7957-537: The lineside signalling system on the southern ECML between London King's Cross and the Stoke Tunnel was commissioned in 1977 and as such was up for renewal between 2020 and 2029. Instead of renewing the current lineside signalling, it was decided to upgrade this section of the ECML to ERTMS in-cab signalling. This will not be the first instance of ERTMS on the UK rail network; it is in use on the Cambrian Line (where it
8066-626: The maximum line speed on the Northern City Line. 313134 was named "City of London" at Moorgate on 9 December 2010 by Michael Bear , the Lord Mayor of London . The Class 313 units were replaced by a new fleet of Class 717 units, which began to enter service in March 2019. The first Class 313 withdrawal – unit 313026 – occurred the month prior; it was sent for scrapping in April 2019. The final Class 313 service on Great Northern
8175-513: The most direct route between Finsbury Park , on the existing Great Northern route, and Moorgate in the City of London . Following completion of the electrification to Welwyn and Hertford, the London terminal for all inner-suburban services would switch from King's Cross to Moorgate, reducing the number of train movements at the former station enough to permit the remodelling and subsequent electrification of
8284-476: The need to use the Northern City Line tunnels, Class 313 units were built to a slightly smaller loading gauge than conventional trains. They were of standard length and width, but the roof was lower, which was most noticeable due to the lack of a "well" for the Stone Faiveley AMBR pantograph on the centre coach. They had to comply with regulations for underground trains, such as having doors at each end of
8393-461: The newer Class 377/3 Electrostars on East and West Coastway services from Brighton . They primarily operated local services from Brighton to Hove , West Worthing , Portsmouth Harbour , Lewes and Seaford . In addition, they worked the Littlehampton to Bognor Regis and Portsmouth & Southsea services. These units were repainted at Wolverton Works and renumbered from 313/1 into
8502-536: The passenger doors were painted entirely grey rather than blue and grey as original). The repaint was part of the C6 overhaul, which included works on the doors, air system and interior (including new, modern LED lighting), and bodywork repairs. The Director of Engineering for Beacon Rail, which owned the Class 313s, has said, "We wanted to celebrate the heritage of this special train, so the re-livery made perfect sense." Southern confirmed in March 2023 that it planned to withdraw
8611-468: The principal London-Glasgow route is the West Coast Main Line (WCML). The line was built during the 1840s by three railway companies, the North British Railway , the North Eastern Railway , and the Great Northern Railway . In 1923, the Railways Act 1921 led to their amalgamation to form the London and North Eastern Railway (LNER) and the line became its primary route. The LNER competed with
8720-402: The prototype HST British Rail Class 41 recorded a top speed of 143 mph (230 km/h) in a test run on the line. There had been proposals to electrify all or parts of the ECML as far back as the early 1900s, but no significant scheme was implemented until the 1970s and 1980s, with the entire line being electrified in two stages between 1976 and 1991. Early proposed schemes included
8829-408: The proven Class 310 design. The Class 313 fleet was correspondingly ordered for the inner-suburban services – those making frequent stops between London and Welwyn or Hertford. An integral component of the electrification programme was BR's acquisition from London Underground of the Northern City Line , which had been built at a size sufficient for mainline trains and which provided
8938-449: The railways were nationalised and operated by British Railways . In the early 1960s, steam was replaced by diesel-electric traction , including the Deltics , and sections of the line were upgraded so that trains could run at speeds of up to 100 mph (160 km/h). With the demand for higher speed, British Rail introduced InterCity 125 high-speed trains between 1976 and 1981. In 1973,
9047-555: The reason was to simplify the equipment to allow dual-voltage operation, and to keep down weight by spreading the heavy transformer and motors between vehicles. The intermediate trailer carried the pantograph and a transformer and rectifier , which on 25 kV AC provides 750 V DC to the motor coaches, each of which had four 110 horsepower (82 kW) GEC G310AZ direct current traction motors , two per bogie. On 750 V DC each motor coach drew its supply directly through its shoe gear. The traction motors were driven by
9156-452: The removal of overhead line equipment. The 313s commenced operations with Southern on 23 May 2010, providing a two-trains-per-hour service between Brighton and Seaford, and some trains between Brighton and Lewes , Hove , West Worthing and Littlehampton . From 13 December 2010, their operation expanded to stopping services from Brighton to Portsmouth Harbour and the Littlehampton to Bognor Regis shuttle. The decision to use 313s on
9265-454: The scheme progressed as far as a prototype locomotive , however it was cancelled on financial grounds after 1923 when the NER was grouped into the LNER, and the new management had no interest in pursuing the scheme. In the early-1930s, studies were conducted into electrifying sections or all of the ECML. British Rail 's 1955 modernisation plan placed equal importance on electrification of both
9374-422: The starting signal for the platform is held at danger until the pantograph is lowered. Unusually for dual voltage trains, on this stock and its replacement, the Class 717 , a shunt resistor is permanently connected to the pantograph. The detection of the small current drawn holds the signal at danger while the pantograph remains in contact with the overhead wire. This current is very audible as it manifests itself as
9483-639: The total cost, 60 per cent was for the electrification process itself, while the remaining 40 per cent covered rolling stock, including the new InterCity 225 trains procured specially for the route. These were introduced in 1989 to operate express services. They were developed by the General Electric Company (GEC), as the winners of a competitive tender process. The InterCity 225 sets were used alongside other rolling stock, including Class 90 locomotives and Class 317 electric multiple units. The displaced diesel trains were reallocated predominantly to
9592-402: The train and the guard had activated the master door release, a passenger could move the door handle gently sideways which operated a switch controlling the individual door opening circuit. Many people did not wait for the guard's release and gave the handle a much harder tug, which could force the door open even if the train had not stopped. Concerns over passenger safety rapidly led to removal of
9701-406: The train for evacuation onto the tracks, and when on 750 V DC supply the traction supply for each motor coach was separate, whereas on conventional 750 V DC trains each coach in a unit is linked by a 750 V bus line. Due to this, each motor coach had shoe gear on both bogies , whereas normally it would only be on the leading bogie. They were fitted with trip-cocks that are struck by
9810-515: The train is at a stand the driver selects AC traction and raises the pantograph. There is no system forcing the driver to change traction supplies beyond the customary 'PANS UP' sign at the end of the platform. If the driver forgets to change to AC no damage will occur to the train or any infrastructure; there will simply be a loss of power as the train runs out of third rail. Great Northern 313s were electrically limited to 30 mph (48 km/h) in DC mode,
9919-641: The unit was tested for the first time on Friday 5 July 2013 between Wembley and Bletchley . It commenced testing on the Hertford Loop later that month. Following conclusion of the Hertford Loop works, it was placed in store at Eastleigh Works in May 2018. It was expected to be used again when ERTMS was ready for testing on the Great Western Main Line , but Network Rail instead listed the unit for sale by tender in January 2023. Silverlink inherited 23 units from British Rail. These were mainly operated under
10028-420: The use of in-cab signalling whenever running service trains at speeds above 125 mph. Nevertheless, the fifth aspect was not removed from signals in the test area , and the relevant track Sectional Appendix continued to list the capability to run special test trains in excess of 125 mph as recently as 2008. As part of the privatisation of British Rail in the mid-1990s, passenger operations on
10137-407: The weight of the coach was increased or decreased by passenger loading. The air suspension was linked to the braking system via a Variable Load Valve (VLV), which increased air brake pressure when the coach was more heavily loaded to compensate for the additional weight. All units had standard class seating only. As built, the sliding doors were opened by the passengers. Once the driver had stopped
10246-476: Was a dual-voltage electric multiple unit (EMU) train built by British Rail Engineering Limited 's Holgate Road carriage works between February 1976 and April 1977. They were the first production units that were derived from British Rail 's 1971 prototype suburban EMU design which, as the BREL 1972 family, eventually encompassed 755 vehicles over five production classes (313, 314 , 315 , 507 and 508 ). They were
10355-681: Was authorised in 1971 for the benefit of London suburban services as part of the Great Northern Suburban Electrification Project , using Mk. 3A equipment. The scheme electrified 70 route miles (110 km), including the Hertford Loop Line , part of the Cambridge Line from Hitchin to Royston , and incorporated the Northern City Line to Moorgate . In the late 1970s, a working group of British Rail and Department for Transport officials convened and determined that, of all options for further electrification,
10464-587: Was authorised to reach speeds up to 140mph completing the London to Edinburgh journey in 3 hours 29 minutes. In November 2021, as part of the Integrated Rail Plan , the DfT announced a major upgrade of the line. The upgrade is set to include major track improvements and digital signalling, leading to higher speeds, reduced journey times and increases in seat capacity. The power supply will also be upgraded to allow longer and more frequent trains. The last refresh of
10573-605: Was connected to the Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway , a short section of which was used to reach the NER at Knottingley . In 1871, the line was shortened when the NER opened a direct line from an end-on junction, with the GNR, at Shaftholme, just south of Askern to Selby and over Selby Bridge on the Leeds - Hull line direct to York . Through journeys were important and lucrative for the companies and in 1860 they built special rolling stock for
10682-475: Was constructed by three independent railway companies. During the 1830s and 1840s, each company built part of the route to serve its own area, but also intending to link with other railways to form the through route that would become the East Coast Main Line. From north to south, the companies were: The GNR established an end-on connection with the NER at Askern , famously described by the GNR's chairman as in "a ploughed field four miles north of Doncaster". Askern
10791-458: Was curtailed soon thereafter by the coming of World War II . In the aftermath of the war, Clement Attlee 's Labour Government nationalised the LNER and the other three major railway companies in Great Britain with the passage of the Transport Act 1947 , and with effect from 1 January 1948 merged them into British Railways (BR). The ECML came under the control of three of BR's regions ;
10900-451: Was disabled on London Overground) in addition to conventional three-step air-operated disc braking . During braking if wheelslide was detected by the Wheel slide protection (WSP), rheostatic braking was disabled and disc-braking only was used. Great Northern units had sanding equipment. Unlike some other DMU/EMU classes, additional brake force was not available when the emergency brake application
11009-407: Was engaged in long running rivalry with the West Coast Main Line (WCML), the other main trunk route between London and Scotland. At various points in the late 19th century, highly publicised but unofficial races occurred between express trains on the two routes, most notably in 1888 and 1895. These races were ended over concerns over safety, but later the rivalry resumed in the 1920s and 1930s as both
11118-461: Was first piloted), on the Thameslink core Widened Lines route (with an ATO overlay), and on the Heathrow branch of the Great Western Main Line . However, it is the most complex application yet; never before in the UK has ERTMS been used on such a busy, mixed-traffic line, with freight , commuter , regional and InterCity services sharing as little as two tracks in the tightest sections. Unlike
11227-432: Was initiated and was the equivalent force of a step 3/full service application. WSP was still active when making an emergency application. In addition to the primary suspension of rubber chevron spring and oil dampers , secondary suspension was provided by two air bellows per bogie - flow into each bellows was controlled independently by a levelling valve and arm assembly that allowed the suspension to inflate/deflate when
11336-560: Was knighted in 1937) as its Chief Mechanical Engineer, and under his tenure, Pacific steam locomotives were developed as the standard express locomotive to work the line, several of which became famous, these included the Class A3 , including 4472 Flying Scotsman , and the later Class A4 , including 4468 Mallard . During this time Mallard set a new world-record speed for a steam locomotive (see § Speed records ). The East Coast Main Line
11445-422: Was largely complete by 1974. During the period when Richard Beeching was chairman of British Rail, WCML electrification with a spur from Carstairs to Edinburgh was seen as possible justification for the truncation of the ECML at Newcastle. British Rail carried out electrification of the southern part of the ECML with 25 kV AC overhead lines from London King's Cross to Hitchin between 1976 and 1977. This
11554-663: Was opened in 1906, replacing the older High Level Bridge as the main railway crossing of the River Tyne . Newark flat crossing , where the ECML crosses the Nottingham–Lincoln line on the same level just north of Newark Northgate station, is one of only two remaining flat crossings in Britain, the other being on the Cambrian Line where it intersections with the Welsh Highland Railway . Plans for grade separating
11663-525: Was opened in three stages between 1871 and 1924. The first section called the Enfield Branch Railway was developed by the London and York Railway and went from Wood Green to Enfield . In 1898, a plan was approved to extend the line north to Hertford and Stevenage , in order to relieve congestion on the main line without having to widen the Welwyn Viaduct . Work started in 1905 and Cuffley
11772-523: Was reached on 4 April 1910. The construction of two major viaducts and the Ponsbourne Tunnel (at 2,684 yards or 2,454 metres, the longest in the eastern counties of England and the last to be built by traditional methods), combined with World War I shortages of men and materials, delayed the opening of the route to Stevenage until 4 March 1918. Then it was single track and for goods services only. The line finally opened to passengers on 2 June 1924 when
11881-571: Was the 23:33 Hertford North to Moorgate on 30 September 2019. A final railtour, operating from London King's Cross to Royston (via Welwyn Garden City) and back (via Hertford North and Moorgate) was held on 23 October 2019 with units 313134 and 313064; the DMSO vehicle of 313064 was repainted in Network SouthEast livery. The Railway Heritage Designation Advisory Board had originally designated unit 313201 for potential preservation after retirement, on
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