106-638: The Kilsby Tunnel is a railway tunnel on the West Coast Main Line in England, near the village of Kilsby in Northamptonshire , roughly 5 miles (8 km) southeast of Rugby . It is 2,423 yards (2,216 m) long. The Kilsby Tunnel was designed and engineered by Robert Stephenson for the London & Birmingham Railway (L&BR). It was constructed by contractors Joseph Nowell & Sons and later by
212-418: A London–Glasgow time of 4 hours 8 minutes. Some projects that were removed from the modernisation as a result of the de-scoping, such as a flyover at Norton Bridge station, were later restarted. A £250 million project to grade-separate the tracks at Norton Bridge that allowed for increased service frequency as well as improved line-speeds was completed in spring 2016. Other projects such as
318-592: A goods depot, it was a continuously active railway facility up until 1966. The station was jointly built and operated by the London and Birmingham Railway (L&BR) and the Grand Junction Railway (GJR), being the meeting point between the two railways, as well as the terminus for the first intercity line to be built into London . As such, it served as a joint terminus for the scheduled passenger trains of both companies to major destinations such as London, Manchester and Liverpool , between 1838 and 1854. It
424-423: A mile away from the earlier station that would take over most of its passenger traffic in 1854. During the 1850s, Curzon Street station found a new role handling freight traffic; conversion work was undertaken between 1860 and 1865 to turn it into a dedicated goods station . In addition, limited passenger traffic, such as special excursion trains, called at that station up until its closure to passengers in 1893. It
530-505: A purpose built public house, The Woodman , that was built opposite the station. It was still open by 2020. In separate instances, during 1970 and 1978, British Rail applied to demolish the Principal Building, but permission to proceed was repeatedly refused on both occasions. Instead, in 1979, the ownership of the building was transferred to Birmingham City Council , which carried out carried out extensive restoration and repairs over
636-410: 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
742-406: A single track. During early operations, train movements were controlled by two policeman , one at either end of the tunnel, who signalled the presence of a train to each other, and only one train was allowed to enter the tunnel at a time. In June 1852, a fatal collision occurred between a ballast train and a coal train as a result of signals that were either not issued or were not received. In 1879,
848-512: A track realignment scheme to raise speeds on the WCML; a proposed project called InterCity 250 , which entailed realigning parts of the line in order to increase curve radii and smooth gradients in order to facilitate higher-speed running. The scheme, which would have seen the introduction of new rolling stock derived from that developed for the East Coast electrification, was scrapped in 1992. As part of
954-520: A useful alternative route to Manchester, however poor relations between the LNWR and the NSR meant that through trains did not run until 1867. The route to Scotland was marketed by the LNWR as 'The Premier Line'. Because the cross-border trains ran over the LNWR and Caledonian Railway, through trains consisted of jointly owned "West Coast Joint Stock" to simplify operations. The first direct London to Glasgow trains in
1060-503: A visitor centre and office space that will be used by HS2 Ltd, Birmingham City University, and Historic England . Renovation of the building was funded through a housing and regeneration grant rather than the HS2 Act, and when funding ran out in May 2022, work was temporarily suspended. Internal refurbishment was "well advanced" but funding could not be secured for external facade repairs. HS2 said it
1166-499: Is 399 miles (642 km) long, with principal InterCity stations at Watford Junction , Milton Keynes Central , Rugby , Stafford , Crewe , Warrington Bank Quay , Wigan North Western , Preston , Lancaster , Oxenholme Lake District , Penrith and Carlisle . The spine has bypasses serving the major towns and cities of Northampton , Coventry , Birmingham and Wolverhampton . Spurs serve Stoke-on-Trent , Macclesfield , Stockport , Manchester, Runcorn and Liverpool . There
SECTION 10
#17328518526271272-442: Is a short double track stretch through the 777-yard (710 m) Shugborough Tunnel. The line is then quadruple track most of the way to Acton Bridge railway station, except for a double track section between Winsford and Hartford. The line is double track from Acton Bridge railway station to Weaver Junction (where a double track spur to Liverpool branches off). The line is double track from Weaver Junction to Warrington Bank Quay, but
1378-596: Is also a branch to Edinburgh , at Carstairs in Scotland which is not the most direct route between London and Edinburgh. It provides a direct connection between the WCML and the East Coast Main Line . Originally, the lines between Rugby , Birmingham and Stafford were part of the main spine, until the Trent Valley Line was built in 1847. This line formed a direct connection between Rugby and Stafford becoming
1484-552: Is entirely electrified – this situation is, however, changing since the expansion of the Pendolino fleet; from 2013 onward Class 390 sets have been routinely deployed on Edinburgh/Glasgow–Birmingham services. By 2012, the WCML Pendolino fleet was strengthened by the addition of two coaches to 31 of the 52 existing sets, thus turning them into 11-car trains. Four brand new 11-car sets are also part of this order, one of which replaced
1590-463: Is excessive in regards to providing airflow, considerable importance was placed on overcoming public perceptions and worries over personal health due to insufficient ventilation, especially in regards to the use of steam locomotives inside lengthy tunnels. Several newspapers had negatively commented on the issues, and it is likely that Stephenson would have wanted to silence critics and assuage these sentiments by visibly demonstrating how much ventilation
1696-700: Is one of the busiest freight routes in Europe, carrying 40% of all UK rail freight traffic. The line is the principal rail freight corridor linking the European mainland (via the Channel Tunnel ) through London and South East England to the West Midlands, North West England and Scotland. The line has been declared a strategic European route and designated a priority Trans-European Networks (TENS) route. A number of railway writers refer to it as "The Premier line". The WCML
1802-507: Is one of the most important railway corridors in the United Kingdom, connecting the major cities of London and Glasgow with branches to Birmingham , Manchester , Liverpool and Edinburgh . It is one of the busiest mixed-traffic railway routes in Europe, carrying a mixture of intercity rail , regional rail , commuter rail and rail freight traffic. The core route of the WCML runs from London to Glasgow for 400 miles (644 km) and
1908-529: Is the loss of through services between Liverpool and Scotland; however these were restored by TransPennine Express in 2019. British Rail introduced the Advanced Passenger Train APT project, which proved that London–Glasgow WCML journey times of less than 4 hours were achievable and paved the way for the later tilting Virgin Pendolino trains. In the late 1980s, British Rail put forward
2014-571: Is three storeys tall but relatively small. A detailed paper from Historic England can be found at the Warwickshire Railways website. . In 1841, a hotel extension – known originally as the Queen's Hotel – was added to the northern (Curzon Street) side of the building, but was eclipsed (and renamed the Railway Hotel) when a new Queen's Hotel was opened next to New Street station. During June 1900,
2120-481: The Birmingham branch , and the routes to Manchester via Stoke-on-Trent was completed on 6 March 1967, allowing electric services to commence to those destinations. In March 1970 the government approved electrification of the northern half of the WCML, between Weaver Junction (where the branch to Liverpool diverges) and Glasgow, and this was completed on 6 May 1974. The announcement, after five years of uncertainty,
2226-470: The British Rail era as a goods station up until 1966. The platforms, along with the original train sheds, were demolished that same year. For several decades, the site was used as a Parcelforce depot; this was demolished in May 2006. For a time, the site was largely used as a car park. The surviving Grade I listed entrance building was designed by Philip Hardwick , having been intended to be used as
SECTION 20
#17328518526272332-458: The Doric Euston Arch present at the London terminus . The GJR's station was located on the northern side of the site in a triangular area of land. It featured parallel departure and arrivals platforms, which had to be staggered in order to fit into the available land. The GJR also built their own independent entrance building and booking office (now demolished) which were located behind
2438-562: The London and Birmingham Railway was completed, connecting to the capital via Coventry , Rugby and the Watford Gap . The Grand Junction and London and Birmingham railways shared a Birmingham terminus at Curzon Street station , so that it was now possible to travel by train between London, Birmingham, Manchester and Liverpool. These lines, together with the Trent Valley Railway (between Rugby and Stafford, avoiding Birmingham) and
2544-564: The Manchester and Birmingham Railway (Crewe–Manchester), amalgamated operations in 1846 to form the London and North Western Railway (LNWR). Three other companies, the North Union Railway ( Parkside –Wigan–Preston), the Lancaster and Preston Junction Railway and the Lancaster and Carlisle Railway , completed a through route to Carlisle by the end of 1846, these were later absorbed by
2650-484: The Mark 2 and from 1974 the fully integral , air-conditioned Mark 3 design. These remained the mainstay of express services until the early 2000s. Line speeds were raised to a maximum 110 mph (180 km/h), and these trains, hauled by Class 86 and Class 87 electric locomotives, came to be seen as BR's flagship passenger service. Passenger traffic on the WCML doubled between 1962 and 1975. The modernisation also saw
2756-633: The Quintinshill rail disaster , occurred on the WCML during World War I , on 22 May 1915, between Glasgow Central and Carlisle, in which 227 were killed and 246 injured. The entire route came under the control of the London, Midland and Scottish Railway (LMS) on 1 January 1923 when the railway companies were grouped , under the Railways Act 1921 . The LMS competed fiercely with the rival LNER 's East Coast Main Line for London to Scotland traffic (see Race to
2862-550: The Second World War , an incendiary bomb struck the Principal Building, causing mostly superficial damage, while numerous other bombs impacted nearby, after which it was repaired. In 1952, the Principal Building was given a Grade 1 Listing in recognition of its historical importance; in subsequent years, it would become the only surviving part of the original station and the world’s oldest example of monumental railway architecture. Curzon Street station continued to be used into
2968-402: The death of Queen Elizabeth II , locomotive hauled services returned briefly to the WCML once more when incumbent operator Avanti West Coast employed a rake of Mark 3 coaches (hauled by a Class 90 locomotive) to provide additional services to Euston for those wishing to travel to London for the Queen's lying-in-state and subsequent funeral. The following table lists the rolling stock which forms
3074-491: The early railway era was for companies to promote individual lines between two destinations, rather than to plan grand networks of lines, as it was considered easier to obtain backing from investors. The first stretch of what is now the WCML was the Grand Junction Railway connecting the Liverpool and Manchester Railway to Birmingham , via Warrington , Crewe , Stafford and Wolverhampton , opening in 1837. The following year
3180-585: The privatisation of British Rail in the 1990s, the infrastructure was taken over in 1994 by the private company Railtrack , which later collapsed in 2002, and was replaced by the not-for-profit company Network Rail . WCML's InterCity services became part of the InterCity West Coast franchise , which was won by Virgin Trains who took over in 1997. In 2019, Avanti West Coast won the new West Coast Partnership franchise, taking over from Virgin Trains. By
3286-585: The 112 miles between the two cities in four hours and 48 minutes. During 1839, the GJR arrived at Curzon Street; although the line had opened two years earlier, one year before the L&;BR, it originally ran to a temporary terminus at Vauxhall until a 28-span viaduct over the River Rea valley had been completed along with their side of the station. By 1846, the station was already being extensively modified. The train shed
Kilsby Tunnel - Misplaced Pages Continue
3392-520: The 1850s took 12.5 hours to complete the 400-mile (640 km) journey. The final sections of what is now the WCML were put in place over the following decades. A direct branch to Liverpool , bypassing the earlier Liverpool and Manchester line, was opened in 1869, from Weaver Junction north of Crewe to Ditton Junction via the Runcorn Railway Bridge over the River Mersey . At
3498-445: The 1980s; an ill-fated high speed train which used tilting technology , which was required to allow faster speeds on the curving route, and the abortive InterCity 250 project in the early-1990s. Further modernisation of the route finally occurred during the 2000s in the period of privatisation , which saw speeds raised further to 125 mph (201 km/h) and the introduction of tilting Class 390 Pendolino trains. As much of
3604-589: The 2010-2017 timeframe. The Wigan North Western to Lostock Parkway branch is also in the process of being electrified. The majority of stock used on the West Coast Main Line is new-build, part of Virgin's initial franchise agreement having been a commitment to introduce a brand-new fleet of tilting Class 390 "Pendolino" trains for long-distance high-speed WCML services. The 53-strong Pendolino fleet, plus three tilting SuperVoyager diesel sets, were bought for use on these InterCity services. One Pendolino
3710-415: The 2010s, it was found to be in a largely good condition. During the 2010s, Kilsby Tunnel was restored by Network Rail . Maintenance focused on inspecting the ventilation shafts and repairs to the brickwork of one shaft was carried out, sections of the tunnel's lining were replaced. While unusual means of access were used because of the listed status of the shafts, the repairs were described as routine. At
3816-585: The City Park and Masshouse development scheme, which is located around the site, most of the surrounding buildings having been demolished. However, these plans were superseded by the High Speed 2 proposal, which will incorporate the surviving entrance building into the eastern entrance of a new station. A masonry colonnade screen will connect the historic structure and the new HS2 station viaducts and eastern concourse at New Canal Street. The renovated building will have
3922-607: 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
4028-488: 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. 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
4134-414: The GJR's desired alignment was blocked, necessitating the creation of two adjacent terminal stations, one for each company, at Curzon Street. The L&BR's station was built on the south side of the site, featuring a pair of platforms in parallel (one for arrivals and the other for departures), along with four carriage sidings next to the tracks leading to the two outer platforms; six lines in total served
4240-417: The L&BR. It took much longer to construct and exceeded its estimated cost, attributed to a roof collapse and consequential flooding. At the time of its opening in 1838, it was the longest railway tunnel ever constructed. The tunnel had atypically large ventilation shafts , because of a lack of experience as to how much ventilation would be needed for steam locomotives to pass through. On opening in 1838,
4346-729: The LNWR. North of Carlisle, the Caledonian Railway remained independent, and opened its main line from Carlisle to Beattock on 10 September 1847, connecting to Edinburgh in February 1848, and to Glasgow in November 1849. Another important section, the North Staffordshire Railway (NSR), which opened its route in 1848 from Macclesfield (connecting with the LNWR from Manchester) to Stafford and Colwich Junction via Stoke-on-Trent , also remained independent. The NSR provided
Kilsby Tunnel - Misplaced Pages Continue
4452-532: The London end of the L&BR. In the original design, the building was to be flanked by two arches leading into the station: excavations have revealed that these were never built. The interior was modified in 1839 to accommodate a 'hotel' (the Victoria), although this was probably more in the nature of a refreshment room or public house, and later the booking hall, with a large iron balustraded stone staircase and offices. It
4558-734: The Midlands and this area has been called the " Golden Triangle of Logistics ". Nearly all of the WCML is electrified with overhead line equipment at 25 kV AC . Several of the formerly unelectrified branches of the WCML in the North West have recently been electrified such as the Preston to Blackpool North Line on which electric service commenced in May 2018 along with the Preston – Manchester Piccadilly line which saw electric service commence in February 2019. Wigan to Liverpool via St Helens Shaw Street and St Helens Junction were also electrified in
4664-458: The North ). Attempts were made to minimise end-to-end journey times for a small number of powerful lightweight trains that could be marketed as glamorous premium crack expresses, especially between London and Glasgow, such as the 1937–39 Coronation Scot , hauled by streamlined Princess Coronation Class locomotives, which made the journey in 6 hours 30 minutes, making it competitive with
4770-539: The Railway Hotel was closed, after which the contents were sold and the space was converted into offices for the goods depot. On 27 January 1847, the Institution of Mechanical Engineers was established with George Stephenson as its first president in the Queen's Hotel; a plaque commemorating the centenary of the event was placed inside the station building when the hotel was demolished. In 1897, Ansells Brewery had
4876-514: The UK, BR carried out an extensive programme of modernisation of it between the late 1950s and early 1970s, which included full overhead electrification of the route, and the introduction of modern intercity passenger services at speeds of up to 110 mph (177 km/h). Further abortive modernisation schemes were proposed, including the introduction of the Advanced Passenger Train (APT) in
4982-683: The WCML) were given 30 new "Desiro" Class 350s , originally ordered for services in the south-east. Following Govia 's successful bid for the West Midlands franchise in 2007, another 37 Class 350 units were ordered to replace its older fleet of Class 321s . The older BR-vintage locomotive-hauled passenger rolling stock still has a limited role on the WCML, with the overnight Caledonian Sleeper services between London Euston and Scotland using Mark 3 and Mark 2 coaches until their replacement with Mark 5 stock in October 2019. Virgin also retained and refurbished one of
5088-591: The a part of the spine. South of Rugby, there is a bypass loop that serves Northampton . There is a spur at Weaver Junction north of Crewe to Liverpool . Weaver Junction on this branch is the oldest flyover-type junction in Britain. A spur branches off from Crewe to serve Manchester . There is also a spur between Colwich Junction in the Trent Valley, south of Stafford to Stoke-on-Trent, with another spur north of Stafford, also to Stoke-on-Trent. The geography of
5194-502: The beginning of 2020, an estimated 400 trains were using the tunnel daily. Due to the drastic reduction in rail traffic caused by the COVID-19 pandemic , Network Rail took the rare opportunity to close the tunnel for two weeks in May 2020 in order to carry out major works, including replacing much of the tunnel's drainage system, which had become clogged by heavily limed water seeping through, causing flooding problems, and also replacing much of
5300-456: The company's offices and boardroom. Built during 1838, it is among the world's oldest surviving pieces of monumental railway architecture. Built at a cost of £28,000, the architecture is Roman inspired, following Hardwick's trip to Italy in 1818–19. It has tall pillars running up the front of the building, made out of a series of huge blocks of stone. The design mirrored the Euston Arch at
5406-483: 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. Birmingham Curzon Street railway station (1838-1966) Birmingham Curzon Street railway station (formerly Birmingham station ) was a railway station in central Birmingham , England. Initially used as a major early passenger terminus before being eclipsed by newer facilities and converted into
SECTION 50
#17328518526275512-781: The dawn of the 1990s, it was clear that further modernisation was required. Initially this took the form of the InterCity 250 project. The modernisation plan unveiled by Virgin and the new infrastructure owner Railtrack involved the upgrade and renewal of the line to allow the use of tilting Pendolino trains with a maximum line speed of 140 mph (225 km/h), in place of the previous maximum of 110 mph (177 km/h). Railtrack estimated that this upgrade would cost £2 billion, be ready by 2005, and cut journey times to 1 hour for London to Birmingham and 1 hr 45 mins for London to Manchester. However, these plans proved too ambitious and were subsequently scaled back. The upgrade
5618-456: The demolition and redevelopment of several of the key stations on the line: BR was keen to symbolise the coming of the "electric age" by replacing the Victorian-era buildings with new structures built from glass and concrete. Notable examples were Birmingham New Street , Manchester Piccadilly , Stafford , Coventry and London Euston . To enable the latter, the famous Doric Arch portal into
5724-425: The departure platform. Separate yards for passengers and their horse-drawn carriages were present between the station and Curzon Street. The GJR's facilities were mainly designed by Joseph Franklin. Various additional railway facilities were also constructed nearby on land to the south and east of the station; these included carriage sheds for the L&BR, a sixteen-sided engine house, and freight handling areas for
5830-453: The economic climate of the time. The early history of the WCML is complex, as it was not originally conceived as a single trunk route, but was built as a patchwork of separate lines by different companies, mostly during the 1830s and 1840s, but some parts were opened as late as the 1880s. After the completion of the pioneering Liverpool and Manchester Railway in 1830, schemes were mooted to build more inter-city lines. The business practice of
5936-418: The first intercity line to be built into London and the largest project to have ever been undertaken in Britain at the time. At Birmingham, the L&BR connected with the Grand Junction Railway (GJR), which was constructed at the same time; it had been intended for the two railways to meet end on as to facilitate the running of through services; however, on account of the opposition of influential land owners,
6042-510: The following three years, at which time the newer hotel wing was demolished. Once the renovations were completed, the building was intermittently used as offices for various groups. Amongst these users was a University of Birmingham student theatre group, the 'Three Bugs Fringe Theatre'. The building was also proposed as a home for the Royal College of Organists , but the proposal foundered in 2005 for lack of funds. A commemorative plaque
6148-461: The line has a maximum speed of 125 mph (201 km/h), it meets the European Union 's definition of an upgraded high-speed line , although only Class 390 Pendolinos and Class 221 Super Voyagers with tilting mechanisms operated by Avanti West Coast travel at that speed. Non-tilting trains are limited to 110 mph (177 km/h). The spine between London Euston and Glasgow Central
6254-468: The line is quadruple track between Warrington Bank Quay to Wigan North Western. At Newton-le-Willows, the slow tracks join the Liverpool to Manchester line to pass through the centre of the town, while the fast tracks take the direct route via the Golborne cut-off. There are two more stretches of quadruple track, otherwise the line is double track to Scotland. The first is from Euxton Balshaw Lane to Preston, and
6360-487: The line, was announced as opening on 12 December 2005, bringing the fastest journey between London and Glasgow to 4 hours 25 mins (down from 5 hours 10 minutes). However, considerable work remained, such as the quadrupling of the track in the Trent Valley, upgrading the slow lines, the second phase of remodelling Nuneaton, and the remodelling of Stafford, Rugby, Milton Keynes and Coventry stations, and these were completed in late 2008. The upgrading of
6466-506: The merging of the L&BR and GJR into the London and North Western Railway (LNWR) in 1846, work started on the new and more conveniently located 'Grand Central' station, which would become known as Birmingham New Street , which was shared with the Midland Railway . Located only half a mile to the west of the preceding station, New Street was completed in 1854 ; unsurprisingly, the majority of passenger services were diverted away from
SECTION 60
#17328518526276572-612: The northern end, the Caledonian replaced its original Southside terminus in Glasgow, with the much larger and better located Glasgow Central in 1879. To expand capacity, the line between London and Rugby was widened to four tracks in the 1870s. As part of this work, a new line, the Northampton Loop , was built, opening in 1881, connecting Northampton before rejoining the main line at Rugby. The worst-ever rail accident in UK history,
6678-427: The occasional art event. During the 2010s, it was announced that the site and the principal building would be reused and integrated into the new Birmingham Curzon Street railway station , and host the high speed services on High Speed 2 . The construction of the station, which was originally known simply as Birmingham station , is closely associated with the creation of the London and Birmingham Railway (L&BR),
6784-528: The old GJR arrival platform train shed, grain and flour was processed at the old GJR departure area. General freight was typically addressed beneath the 1838 L&BR train sheds. In 1914, Curzon Street employed more than 2,000 people, along with roughly 600 horses and 900 wagons. During 1923, as a result of the Railway Groupings , the ownership of Curzon Street station was transferred to the newly created London Midland & Scottish Railway (LMSR). Amid
6890-432: The older station that same year. Furthermore, the smaller Lawley Street station , terminus of the Birmingham and Derby Junction Railway (a forerunner of the Midland Railway ) was also opened a short distance to the east not long thereafter. During November 1852, the name of the station was changed from Birmingham to Birmingham Curzon Street . The primary use of the station became the handling of goods; initially this
6996-454: The opening of the L&BR. On 20 August 1838, the directors of the L&BR conducted the first ever rail journey between Birmingham Curzon Street railway station and Euston railway station , London. On the way, the train briefly stopped at the tunnel so that they could marvel at the structure and meet some of the workmen. Regular services using the tunnel commenced soon after. Kilsby Tunnel had been designed for double tracks, but opened with
7102-848: The original Philip Hardwick -designed terminus was demolished in 1962 amid much public outcry. Electrification of the Edinburgh branch was carried out in the late 1980s as part of the East Coast Main Line electrification project in order to allow InterCity 225 sets to access Glasgow via Carstairs Junction. Modernisation brought great improvements in speed and frequency. However some locations and lines were no longer served by through trains or through coaches from London, such as: Windermere ; Barrow-in-Furness , Whitehaven and Workington ; Huddersfield , Bradford Interchange , Leeds and Halifax (via Stockport); Blackpool South ; Colne (via Stockport); Morecambe and Heysham ; Southport (via Edge Hill ); Blackburn and Stranraer Harbour. Notable also
7208-448: The original bill to authorise construction of the line. Stephenson surveyed an alternative route to the west of the town that included Kilsby Tunnel. The 2,423 yard tunnel would be the world's longest railway tunnel. In May 1835, Joseph Nowell & Sons was awarded the tunnel contract, which was valued at £98,988 (equivalent to £12,310,000 in 2023). Construction proved to be less than straightforward. Within months of work commencing,
7314-444: The original Mark 3 rakes with a Driving Van Trailer and a Class 90 locomotive as a standby set to cover for Pendolino breakdowns. This set was retired from service on 25 October with a rail tour the following day. In November 2014, the "Pretendolino" was transferred to Norwich Crown Point depot to enter service with Abellio Greater Anglia having come to the end of its agreed lease to Virgin Trains. In September 2022, following
7420-594: The other main line between London and Scotland. The principal solution has been the adoption of tilting trains , initially with British Rail 's APT and latterly the Class 390 Pendolino trains constructed by Alstom and introduced by Virgin Trains in 2003. A 'conventional' attempt to raise line speeds as part of the InterCity 250 upgrade in the 1990s would have relaxed maximum cant levels on curves and seen some track realignments; this scheme faltered for lack of funding in
7526-418: The project was said to have caused Joseph Nowell's ill-health and death. At the recommendation of George Stephenson , several steam-powered pumps were installed to extract water from the quicksand inside the tunnel. The pumps removed up to 2,000 gallons of water from a depth of 120 feet every minute of operation and took up to eight months. Seven more shafts were sunk to install timber cylinders to hold back
7632-794: 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. The main spine of the WCML is quadruple track almost all of the route from London to south of Winsford . At Hanslope Junction (near Milton Keynes ), the line divides with one pair going direct to Rugby and the other pair diverting via Northampton to rejoin at Rugby. The spine continues north in quadruple track until Brinklow, where it reduces to triple track. The line between Brinklow and Nuneaton has three tracks, with one northbound track and fast and slow southbound tracks. The line then reverts to quadruple track at Nuneaton. North of Rugeley, there
7738-433: The rival East Coast Flying Scotsman (British Railways in the 1950s could not match this, but did achieve a London-Glasgow timing of 7 hours 15 minutes in the 1959–60 timetable by strictly limiting the number of coaches to eight and not stopping between London and Carlisle. ) In 1948, following nationalisation , the line came under the control of British Railways ' London Midland and Scottish Regions , when
7844-537: The route was determined by avoiding large estates and hilly areas, such as the Chilterns ( Tring Cutting ); the Watford Gap and Northampton uplands, followed by the Trent Valley; the mountains of Cumbria , with a summit at Shap ; and Beattock Summit in South Lanarkshire . This legacy means the WCML has limitations as a long-distance main line, with lower maximum speeds than the East Coast Main Line (ECML) route,
7950-435: 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
8056-411: The sand. During this time, multiple attempts were made to construct the tunnel's brick lining using a raft to float men and materials into position. As a protective measure, the lining's thickness was increased from 18 inches to in excess of two feet and straw was used to deflect and control the ingress of water to prevent wet concrete from being washed away from newly laid bricks. An unusual feature of
8162-522: The second is a busy section around Glasgow. The WCML is noted for the diversity of branches served from the spine, notably those to/from the West Midlands and North Wales , Greater Manchester , and Liverpool. These are detailed in the route diagram . The complete route has been cleared for W10 loading gauge freight traffic, allowing use of higher 9 ft 6 in (2,896 mm) hi-cube shipping containers . The route passes through Nuneaton and
8268-469: The second of the working shafts was flooded because of large amounts of quicksand not revealed by trial borings into the hill. Similar problems had been encountered during the construction of Blisworth Tunnel on the Grand Union Canal a few decades earlier. Problems posed by the quicksand at tunnel level were so severe that abandoning the shaft and restarting work elsewhere was considered. Stress from
8374-663: The set lost in the Grayrigg derailment. Although the new stock was supplied in Virgin livery, it was not expected to enter traffic before 31 March 2012, when the InterCity West Coast franchise was due to be re-let, though the date for the new franchise was later put back to December 2012, and any effect of this on the timetable for introducing the new coaches remains unclear. Previous franchisees Central Trains and Silverlink (operating local and regional services partly over sections of
8480-406: The single track was doubled. In March 1987, both the north and south portals of Kilsby Tunnel were Grade II* listed ; furthermore, the two largest ventilation shafts were also listed, the north shaft being Grade II* listed while the south shaft was Grade II listed. During the tunnel's service life, there have been no major problems or difficulties with the structure. During a survey conducted during
8586-426: The station had become quite heavily trafficked; however, the arrangement of the parallel platforms quickly proved to be an inconvenience to the travelling public and operators alike, the inability to perform through trips complicated many train journeys. It was also inconveniently located on the eastern edge of Birmingham city centre. Accordingly, its use as a major passenger station was relatively short-lived. Following
8692-501: The station. A sizable train shed that was supported by a pair of wrought iron truss spans covered both the platforms and the six tracks, covering an area of 217 feet (66 metres) long and 113 feet (34 metres) wide. To the rear of the departure platform, a lengthy building accommodating booking offices, waiting rooms and a parcels office was present. Furthermore, it also featured a grand three-storey Principal Building complete with four massive Ionic columns that intentionally matched
8798-455: The technical viability and cost of implementing moving block prior to promising the speed increase to Virgin and the government. By 1999, with little headway on the modernisation project made, it became apparent to engineers that the technology was not mature enough to be used on the line. The bankruptcy of Railtrack in 2001 and its replacement by Network Rail following the Hatfield crash brought
8904-409: The term "West Coast Main Line" came into use officially, although it had been used informally since at least 1912. As part of the 1955 modernisation plan , British Rail carried out a large programme of modernisation of the WCML in stages between 1959 and 1974; the modernisation involved upgrading the track and signaling to allow higher speeds, rebuilding a number of stations, and electrification of
9010-560: The track and ballast. This was the longest total closure of the tunnel since it was opened, with all trains diverted temporarily via Northampton . In normal times the work would have required many short blockades, and taken months to complete. It allowed a temporary speed restriction through the tunnel of 70 mph to be lifted, enabling trains to operate at the normal line speed of 110 mph. Other L&BR tunnels: West Coast Main Line The West Coast Main Line ( WCML )
9116-401: The transhipment of goods between the L&BR and the neighbouring Birmingham Canal . A dedicated L&BR freight depot was also established to the north of the station. While the station was formally opened on 24 June 1838, however, due to the delayed completion of Kilsby Tunnel , the first train from London did not arrive until on 17 September of that year. That first train had traversed
9222-588: The tunnel is the size of its ventilation shafts, which were adapted from ten of the working shafts used during its construction. In May 1836, work started on the first of two shafts, which were 132 feet deep and 20 yards in diameter. The shafts were sunk using sequentially dug trenches around the circumference and took over a year to reach the bottom of each shaft. Its three-foot-thick walls required over one million bricks and weighed an estimated 4,034 tonnes. For aesthetic reasons both shafts are castellated . Author Graeme Bickerdike has speculated that, while their size
9328-563: The tunnel was single track and in 1879, double-track was laid. In March 1987, Kilsby Tunnel portals and its two ventilation shafts were given listed status . In the 1830s, Robert Stephenson developed the London and Birmingham Railway (L&BR) (later known as the West Coast Main Line ). After opposition from several landowners and proprietors in Northampton in July 1832, the House of Lords rejected
9434-432: Was as an overflow to the adjacent goods depot, rail freight increased considerably during the mid 1850s. During 1860, work commenced on the formal conversion of the site into a goods station , which included the closure of the nearby engine shed; it was at this time that the general station buildings were demolished, while the train sheds and the Principal Building were retained, the latter to serve as offices. The conversion
9540-402: Was being provided. On 21 June 1838, resident engineer Charles Lean laid the final brick of the tunnel, marking its completion. It took three years, and cost £320,000 to build, (equivalent to £36,390,000 in 2023) three times the original estimate. The high accident rate in the course of its construction included the deaths of 26 of the 1,250 workers. The length of time it took to build delayed
9646-433: Was completed in 1865. In early 1874, a portion of Curzon Street station (at the corner of New Canal Street and Banbury Street) was adapted and used from Easter that year as an 'excursion station' to relieve New Street station at peak times, such as holidays or fair days. The station provided frequent public holiday excursion services to Sutton Coldfield . These excursions continued until Easter 1893, their discontinuation
9752-419: Was described as "a classic example of disastrous project management". Central to the implementation of the plan was the adoption of moving block signalling , which had never been proven on anything more than simple metro lines and light rail systems – not on a complex high-speed heavy-rail network such as the WCML. Despite this, Railtrack made what would prove to be the fatal mistake of not properly assessing
9858-408: Was extended so that it could accommodate the running of longer trains, while the departure platform was extended to create a new bay platform for the use of the Birmingham and Gloucester Railway . Furthermore, the Principal Building had been extended along its northern side for the purpose of providing additional refreshment space for passengers, including a hotel. Within only a few years of opening,
9964-477: Was finally completed in December 2008. This allowed Virgin's VHF (very high frequency) timetable to be progressively introduced through early 2009, the highlights of which are a three-trains-per-hour service to both Birmingham and Manchester during off-peak periods, and nearly all London-Scottish timings brought under the 4 hours 30 minutes barrier – with one service (calling only at Preston) achieving
10070-405: Was formally opened on 24 June 1838, and received its first train from London on 17 September of that year. Being incapable of permitting through trains, it quickly proved to be inadequate even after expansion efforts to accommodate longer trains. Thus, during the 1840s, the newly created London and North Western Railway opted to build a larger and more suitable station, Birmingham New Street , half
10176-449: Was heavily used for railway freight into the British Rail era, only being closed to rail-based goods traffic in 1966. Many original features were demolished at this time, such as the platforms and trainshed, but the principal entrance building survived and was given Grade I listed status. While much of the site continued to be used for road-based parcel traffic, the principal building was used as office space for various purposes, including
10282-415: Was installed next to the station entrance in 1988 which reads: "THIS PLAQUE COMMEMORATES THE 150TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE ARRIVAL OF THE FIRST LONDON TO BIRMINGHAM TRAIN AT THIS STATION ON MONDAY 17TH SEPTEMBER 1838". The building was unused except for the occasional art exhibition. Birmingham City Council had hoped to refurbish the building and find an alternative tenant. It was expected to be the centrepiece of
10388-399: Was later dropped) and offering journey times as London to Birmingham in 1 hour 35 minutes, and London to Manchester or Liverpool in 2 hours 40 minutes (and even 2 hours 30 minutes for the twice-daily Manchester Pullman ). This represented a big improvement on the 3 hours 30 minutes to Manchester and Liverpool of the fastest steam service. A new feature
10494-472: Was made 48 hours before the writ was issued for a by-election in South Ayrshire . The Observer commented that, if the £25 million decision was politically rather than financially motivated, it would have the makings of a major political scandal. A new set of high-speed long-distance services was introduced in 1966, launching British Rail's highly successful " Inter-City " brand (the hyphen
10600-445: Was mostly built between the 1830s and 1850s, but several cut-off routes and branches were built in later decades. In 1923, the entire route came under the ownership of the London, Midland and Scottish Railway (LMS) when the railway companies were grouped under the Railways Act 1921 . The LMS itself was nationalised in 1947 to form part of British Railways (BR). As the WCML is the most important long-distance railway trunk route in
10706-456: Was not originally conceived as a single route, but was built as a patchwork of local lines which were linked together, built by various companies, the largest of which amalgamated in 1846 to create the London and North Western Railway (LNWR), which then gradually absorbed most of the others; the exceptions were the Caledonian Railway in Scotland, and the North Staffordshire Railway (NSR) which both remained independent until 1923. The core route
10812-632: Was opened from 1837 to 1881. With additional lines deviating to Northampton , Birmingham, Manchester, Liverpool and Edinburgh, this totals a route mileage of 700 miles (1,127 km). The Glasgow–Edinburgh via Carstairs line connects the WCML to Edinburgh. However, the main London–Edinburgh route is the East Coast Main Line . Several sections of the WCML form part of the suburban railway systems in London, Coventry , Birmingham, Manchester, Liverpool and Glasgow, with many more smaller commuter stations, as well as providing links to more rural towns. It
10918-479: Was that these fast trains were offered on a regular-interval service throughout the day: initially hourly to Birmingham, two-hourly to Manchester, and so on. The service proved to be so popular that in 1972 these InterCity service frequencies were doubled to deal with increased demand. With the completion of the northern electrification in 1974, London to Glasgow journey times were reduced from 6 hours to 5. Along with electrification came modern coaches such as
11024-411: Was to facilitate the expansion of the main lines into New Street from two to four. During the early years of its life as a good station, horses were primarily used to shunt wagons around the depot, while capstans and turntables were also used to transfer wagons between tracks as well as to marshal them into trains. Different goods were handled across the site; while fruit and vegetables went through
11130-428: Was working to "identify further heritage funding to fully restore this iconic landmark for the city." A turntable (then called a "turn plate") and stabling sidings, designed by Robert Stephenson , were operational from 12 November 1837. It was soon found that inclement weather hampered operations, and a roundhouse - likely the first railway roundhouse in the world - was constructed over them. There were 16 lines off
11236-673: Was written off in 2007 following the Grayrigg derailment . After the 2007 franchise "shake-up" in the Midlands, more SuperVoyagers were transferred to Virgin West Coast, instead of going to the new CrossCountry franchise. The SuperVoyagers are used on London–Chester and Holyhead services because the Chester/North Wales line is not electrified, so they run "under the wires" between London and Crewe. SuperVoyagers were also used on Virgin's London-Scotland via Birmingham services, even though this route
#626373