Midland Main Line

Midland Main Line
East Midlands Trains High Speed Train at Tupton, near Clay Cross
Overview
Status	Operational
Owner	Network Rail
Locale	Greater London East of England East Midlands Yorkshire and the Humber
Termini	London St Pancras Sheffield or Nottingham
Stations	35 (London to Sheffield)
Service
Type	Intercity, commuter rail, regional rail and heavy rail
System	National Rail
Operator(s)	East Midlands Railway CrossCountry Thameslink TransPennine Express Northern GB Railfreight Freightliner DB Cargo Direct Rail Services
Depot(s)	Cricklewood Derby Etches Park Nottingham Eastcroft Toton Sheffield Station Neville Hill
Rolling stock	High Speed Trains Class 150 Sprinter Class 153 Super Sprinter Class 156 Super Sprinter Class 158 Express Sprinter Class 170 Turbostar Class 180 Adelante Class 185 Desiro Class 220 Voyager Class 221 Super Voyager Class 222 Meridian Class 700 Desiro City Class 360 "Desiro"
History
Opened	Stages between 1830s–1860s
Technical
Number of tracks	2–4
Track gauge	4 ft 8+1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge
Loading gauge	W6–W8,[1] planned upgrade to UIC GB+
Electrification	25 kV 50 Hz AC OHLE (London St Pancras International to Corby)
Operating speed	Maximum 125 mph (201 km/h)
Route map (c) Peter Christener, CC BY 3.0

v t e Midland Main Line
West Coast Main Line to Glasgow Carlisle Cumbrian Coast line to Barrow-in-Furness West Coast Main Line to Preston Tyne Valley line to Newcastle Settle–Carlisle line Leeds Wakefield line Hallam line Wakefield Westgate Hallam line to Barnsley Wakefield Kirkgate Sandal and Agbrigg Pontefract line to Goole Wakefield line Sandal and Walton Hare Park & Crofton Royston–Savile Town to Dewsbury Dearne Valley Railway Great Central Railway to Barnsley Nostell Fitzwilliam Royston and Notton Hemsworth Hull & Barnsley Railway to Hull Hull & Barnsley Railway to Monk Bretton works Dearne Valley line to Pontefract Baghill Cudworth Wakefield line to Doncaster Stairfoot & Cudworth line to Sheffield Moorthorpe Houghton Colliery Thurnscoe Cat Hill Tunnel Goldthorpe Darfield Frickley Wath North Bolton-upon-Dearne Great Central Railway to Barnsley Dearne Valley Railway to Edlington Swinton Junction Wakefield line Dearne Valley line Swinton–Doncaster line to Mexborough Swinton Swinton Central Kilnhurst West Kilnhurst Central Thrybergh Junction Parkgate and Rawmarsh Parkgate and Aldwarke Rotherham Road Rotherham Central Rotherham Masborough Rotherham Westgate Rail recycling Midland Railway Great Central Railway Wakefield line Dearne Valley line Holmes Canklow shed M1 motorway Tinsley Viaduct M1 motorway Tinsley Viaduct Blackburn Valley line to Barnsley Hallam and Penistone lines to Barnsley Meadowhall Tinsley Tinsley Marshalling Yard Brightside Broughton Lane Sheffield & Rotherham Railway Sheffield Wicker Attercliffe Road Woodhead line (GCML) to Stocksbridge Sheffield Victoria Treeton River Don Darnall Sheffield Midland Orgreave colliery Heeley Woodhouse Millhouses shed Woodhouse Mill Millhouses and Ecclesall Beauchief Beighton Sheffield–Lincoln line to Retford Dore and Totley Hope Valley line to Manchester Piccadilly Killamarsh Central Killamarsh West Bradway Tunnel Eckington Dronfield Doe Lea branch line to Bolsover Unstone Barrow Hill Sheepbridge Whittington Staveley Central Chesterfield Central Chesterfield Chesterfield Loop Great Central Main Line Chesterfield Market Place LD&ECR to Lincoln Clay Cross Clay Cross Tunnel Erewash Valley line Stretton Doe Hill Ashover Light Railway to Ashover Butts Westhouses and Blackwell Wingfield Alfreton Alfreton tunnels Midland Railway –Butterley Robin Hood Line to Worksop Derwent Valley line to Matlock Pye Bridge Ambergate Ambergate–Pye Bridge line Belper Codnor Park and Ironville Milford Tunnel Langley Mill Duffield Shipley Gate GNR Derbyshire and Staffordshire Extension Bennerley Viaduct Ilkeston Town Ilkeston Trowell Great Central Main Line Stanton Gate Nottingham Victoria Radford N'ham–Grantham & N'ham–Lincoln lines Derby Nottingham Crewe–Derby line & Cross Country Route Nottingham Arkwright Street Stapleford and Sandiacre Beeston Spondon Ruddington Draycott and Breaston Great Central Railway Borrowash Toton TMD Sawley Attenborough 1968– Long Eaton Long Eaton –1967 Erewash Valley line Attenborough Junction Castle Donington line Trent River Trent Trent Viaducts Redhill tunnels East Midlands Parkway Kegworth Hathern Loughborough Great Central Railway Loughborough Central Barrow-upon-Soar Great Central Railway Sileby Syston Junction B'ham–P'boro line to Peterborough Syston Leicester North Humberstone Road Leicester Central Leicester Leicester to Burton line to Burton-on-Trent Great Central Main Line to Rugby Central B'ham–P'boro line to Birmingham New Street Mid. Counties Rly to Rugby Wigston Magna Great Glen Kibworth East Langton Rugby & Stamford Rly to Stamford Market Harborough no electrification electrification in progress Rugby & Stamford Rly to Rugby N'hampton–M. Harb. line to N'hampton Bridge St Desborough Glendon and Rushton Oakham–Kettering line to Corby Kettering Loddington & Cransley branch to Loddington Kettering–H'don line to Huntingdon Isham and Burton Latimer Finedon Neilsons sidings Wellingborough N'hampton–P'boro line to N'hampton Bridge St N'hampton–P'boro line to Peterborough East River Nene Higham Ferrers branch to Rushden Irchester Sharnbrook tunnel (freight only) Sharnbrook Oakley Bedford–N'hampton line to N'hampton St. John's St Bedford electrification in progress overhead electrification Bedford Sidings Bedford St Johns Marston Vale line to Bletchley Varsity Line to Cambridge prop. Bedford South Bedford–Hitchin line to Hitchin Ampthill Tunnel Ampthill Flitwick Harlington Leagrave Dunstable Branch Lines to Dunstable Town Luton Luton Bute Street Luton Airport Parkway Luton Hoo Chiltern Green Nickey line to Boxmoor Dunstable Branch Lines to Welwyn North Harpenden St Albans Abbey St Albans City St Albans (London Road) Hatfield–St Albans line to Hatfield Park Street Napsbury Abbey line to Watford Junction M25 motorway Radlett Elstree & Borehamwood Elstree tunnel M1 motorway Hertfordshire Greater London Mill Hill Broadway Hendon Welsh Harp Brent Cross West Cricklewood Depot and sidings Dudding Hill Line to Acton Central North London Line to Richmond Cricklewood West Hampstead West Hampstead Thameslink Finchley Road Belsize Tunnel Lismore Circus tunnel Hampstead tunnel Haverstock Hill Gospel Oak Gospel Oak–Barking line to Barking Kentish Town Camden Road East Coast Main Line to Edinburgh Waverley Camden Road tunnel Copenhagen Tunnel Copenhagen Junction North London Line to Stratford High Speed 1 to the Channel Tunnel Belle Isle junction Gasworks Tunnel Canal Tunnels 2018– Regent's Canal London St Pancras London King's Cross Circle, H&C & Met. lines to Euston Square King's Cross St Pancras King's Cross King's Cross Thameslink Circle, H&C & Met. lines to Farringdon Widened Lines to Farringdon

v t e Midland Railway
"New Road" (1870)  Masborough Holmes Wincobank Brightside Attercliffe Road Sheffield Midland Heeley Millhouses and Ecclesall Beauchief Dore & Totley Bradway Tunnel Dronfield Unstone Broomhouse Tunnel Sheepbridge Tapton Junction

The Midland Main Line is a major railway line in England from London to Nottingham and Sheffield in the north of England. The line is under the Network Rail description of Route 19;^[2] it comprises the lines from London's St Pancras station via Leicester, Derby/Nottingham and Chesterfield in the East Midlands.

Express passenger services on the line are operated by East Midlands Railway. The line is electrified between St Pancras and Corby and the section south of Bedford forms the northern half of the Thameslink network, with a semi-fast service to Brighton and other suburban services. A northern part of the route, between Derby and Chesterfield, also forms part of the Cross Country Route operated by CrossCountry. Tracks from Nottingham to Leeds via Barnsley and Sheffield are shared with Northern. East Midlands Railway also operates regional and local services using parts of the line.

The Midland Main Line is to receive a major upgrade of new digital signalling and full line electrification from London to Sheffield. HS2 is to branch onto the Midland Main Line at East Midlands Parkway railway station.^[3]

History

Midland Counties early developments

The Midland Main Line (green) in relation to other main lines

British Rail APT-E built at Derby rail technical centre and extensively tested on the Midland Main Line its first run being on 25 July 1972 from Derby to Duffield

The Midland Main Line was built in stages between the 1830s and the 1870s. The earliest section was opened by the Midland Counties Railway between Nottingham and Derby on 4 June 1839.^[4] On 5 May 1840 the section of the route from Trent Junction to Leicester was opened.^[5]

The line at Derby was joined on 1 July 1840 by the North Midland Railway to Leeds Hunslet Lane via Chesterfield, Rotherham Masborough,^{[n 1]} Swinton, and Normanton.

On 10 May 1844 the North Midland Railway, the Midland Counties Railway and the Birmingham and Derby Junction Railway merged to form the Midland Railway.

Midland Main Line southern extensions

Without its own route to London, the Midland Railway relied upon a junction at Rugby with the London and Birmingham Railway line for access to the capital at London Euston. By the 1850s, the junction at Rugby had become severely congested. The Midland Railway employed Thomas Brassey to construct a new route from Leicester to Hitchin via Kettering, Wellingborough, and Bedford giving access to London via the Great Northern Railway from Hitchin.^[6] The Crimean War resulted in a shortage of labour and finance, and only £900,000 (equivalent to £87,780,000 in 2020)^[7] was available for the construction, approximately £15,000 for each mile.^[8] To reduce construction costs, the railway followed natural contours, resulting in many curves and gradients. Seven bridges and one tunnel were required, with 60 ft cuttings at Desborough and Sharnbrook. There are also major summits at Kibworth, Desbrough and at Sharnbrook where a 1 in 119 gradient from the south over 3 miles takes the line to 340 feet (100 m) above sea level. This route opened for coal traffic on 15 April 1857, goods on 4 May, and passengers on 8 May.^[9] The section between Leicester and Bedford is still part of the Midland Main Line.

While this took some of the pressure off the route through Rugby, the GNR insisted that passengers for London alight at Hitchin, buying tickets in the short time available, to catch a GNR train to finish their journey. James Allport arranged a seven-year deal with the GN to run into Kings Cross for a guaranteed £20,000 a year (equivalent to £1,950,000 in 2020).^[7] Through services to London were introduced in February 1858.^[10]

This line met with similar capacity problems at Hitchin as the former route via Rugby, so a new line was constructed from Bedford via Luton to St Pancras^[11] which opened on 1 October 1868.^[8] The construction of the London extension cost £9 million (equivalent to £828 million in 2020).^[12]

As traffic built up, the Midland Railway opened a new deviation just north of Market Harborough railway station on 26 June 1885 to remove the flat crossing of the Rugby and Stamford Railway.^[13]

Northernmost sections

Plans by the Midland Railway to build a direct line from Derby to Manchester were thwarted in 1863 by the builders of the Buxton line who sought to monopolise on the West Coast Main Line.

In 1870, the Midland Railway opened a new route from Chesterfield to Rotherham which went through Sheffield via the Bradway Tunnel.

The mid-1870s, saw the Midland line extended northwards through the Yorkshire Dales and Eden Valley on what is now called the Settle–Carlisle Railway.

Before the line closures of the Beeching era, the lines to Buxton and via Millers Dale during most years presented an alternate (and competing) main line from London to Manchester, carrying named expresses such as The Palatine and the "Blue Pullman" diesel powered Manchester - London service (the Midland Pullman). Express trains to Leeds and Scotland such as the Thames–Clyde Express mainly used the Midland's corollary Erewash Valley line, returned to it, and then used the Settle–Carlisle line. Expresses to Edinburgh Waverley, such as The Waverley travelled through Corby and Nottingham.

Under British Railways and privatisation

Most Leicester-Nottingham local passenger trains were taken over by diesel units from 14 April 1958, taking about 51 minutes between the two cities.^[14]

When the Great Central Main Line closed in 1966, the Midland Main Line became the only direct main-line rail link between London and the East Midlands and parts of South Yorkshire.

The Beeching cuts and electrification of the West Coast Main Line brought an end to the marginally longer London–Manchester service via Sheffield.

In 1977, the Parliamentary Select Committee on Nationalised Industries recommended considering electrification of more of Britain's rail network, and by 1979 BR presented a range of options that included electrifying the Midland Main Line from London to Yorkshire by 2000.^[15] By 1983, the line had been electrified from Moorgate to Bedford, but proposals to continue electrification to Nottingham and Sheffield were not implemented.

(c) Chris McKenna (Thryduulf), CC BY-SA 4.0

A Midland Mainline High Speed Train, introduced in 1983 by British Rail, at Nottingham in 2005

The introduction of the High Speed Train (HST) in May 1983, following the Leicester area resignalling, brought about an increase of the ruling line speed on the fast lines from 90 miles per hour (140 km/h) to 110 miles per hour (180 km/h).

Between 2001 and 2003, the line between Derby and Sheffield was upgraded from 100 miles per hour (160 km/h) to 110 miles per hour (180 km/h) as part of Operation Princess, the Network Rail funded CrossCountry route upgrade.

In January 2009, a new station, East Midlands Parkway, was opened between Loughborough and Trent Junction, to act as a park-and-ride station for suburban travellers from East Midlands cities and to serve nearby East Midlands Airport.^[16]

Since then, 125 miles per hour (201 km/h) running has been introduced on extended stretches. Improved signalling, increased number of tracks, and the revival of proposals to extend electrification from Bedford to Sheffield are underway. Much of this £70 million upgrade, including some line-speed increases, came online on 9 December 2013 (see below).^[17]

Network Rail route strategy for freight 2007

Network Rail published a Route Utilisation Strategy for freight in 2007;^[18] over the coming years a cross-country freight route will be developed enhancing the Birmingham to Peterborough Line, increasing capacity through Leicester, and remodelling Syston and Wigston junctions.

Network Rail 2010 route plan

Bridges over the Midland Main Line have been replaced to allow greater clearances for electrification and larger rolling stock. Before (top) and after (bottom) the 2014 upgrade.

Traffic levels on the Midland Main Line are rising faster than the national average, with continued increases predicted. In 2006, the Strategic Rail Authority produced a Route Utilisation Strategy for the Midland Main Line to propose ways of meeting this demand;^[19] Network Rail started a new study in February 2008 and this was published in February 2010.^{[20][21][22][23]}

After electrification, the North Northamptonshire towns (Wellingborough, Kettering, and Corby) are planned to have an additional 'Outer Suburban service' into London St Pancras, similar to the West Midlands Trains' Crewe – London Euston services, to cater for the growing commuter market. North Northamptonshire is a major growth area, with over 7,400 new homes planned to be built in Wellingborough^[24] and 5,500 new homes planned for Kettering.^[25][26]

Highlights include:^[27]

• Work related to line speed increases, removing foot crossings and replacing with footbridges
• Capacity enhancements for freight
• Re-signalling of the entire route, expected to be complete by 2016 when all signalling will be controlled by the East Midlands signalling centre in Derby^[28]
• Rebuilding Bedford and Leicester^[29]
• Accessibility enhancements at Elstree & Borehamwood, Harpenden, Loughborough, Long Eaton, Luton, and Wellingborough by 2015^[30]
• Upgraded approach signalling (flashing yellow aspects) added at key junctions – Radlett, Harpenden, and Leagrave allowing trains to traverse them at higher speeds
• Lengthening of platforms at Wellingborough, Kettering, Market Harborough, Loughborough, Long Eaton, and Beeston stations as well as work related to the Thameslink Programme (see below)
• Realignment of the track and construction of new platforms to increase the permissible speed through Market Harborough station from 60 mph to 85 mph saving between 30 – 60 seconds
• Electrification (see below)
• Re-doubling the Kettering to Oakham Line between Kettering North Junction and Corby as well as re-signalling to Syston Junction via Oakham, allowing a half hourly London to Corby passenger service (from an infrastructure perspective) from December 2017 and creating additional paths for rail freight.^[31][32]

Thameslink Programme

New station building at West Hampstead Thameslink

The Thameslink Programme has lengthened the platforms at most stations south of Bedford to 12-car capability. St Pancras, Cricklewood, Hendon, and Luton Airport Parkway were already long enough, but bridges at Kentish Town mean it cannot expand beyond the current 8-car platform length. West Hampstead Thameslink has a new footbridge and a new station building. In September 2014 the current Thameslink Great Northern franchise was awarded and trains on this route are currently operated by Thameslink. In 2018 the Thameslink network will expand when some Southern services are merged into it.

Station improvements

In 2013/14 Nottingham station was refurbished and the platforms restructured.

As part of Wellingborough's Stanton Cross development, Wellingborough station is to be expanded.^[33]

Ilkeston between Nottingham and Langley Mill was opened on 2 April 2017.^[34]

Two new stations are planned:

• Brent Cross West between Cricklewood and Hendon as part of the Brent Cross Cricklewood development in North London.^[35]
• Wixams between Flitwick and Bedford as part of the new town just outside Bedford. Expected to be built by 2015^[36] but now scheduled for 2019.^[37]

Some new stations have been proposed:

• Clay Cross between Chesterfield and Ambergate/Alferton.^[38]
• Irchester (Rushden Parkway) between Wellingborough and Bedford.^[39]
• Ampthill between Bedford and Flitwick.^[40]

Electrification

Electrification work and track being relaid at Wellingborough in 2019

Unlike the West Coast and East Coast Main Lines, the Midland Main Line has not been electrified along its full length. The line had been electrified as far as Bedford in the early 1980's, but services relied on diesel traction beyond that. From 2011 work commenced to complete the electrification, including to both Corby and Nottingham. However, increasing costs saw this terminated at Kettering but it was later extended to Market Harborough.^{[41][42][43][44]}

2021 Integrated Rail Plan

In November 2021 the Government announced its Integrated Rail Plan for the North and Midlands which made a number of proposals for the Midland Main Line. These included a commitment to complete the stalled electrification work, an upgrade to digital signalling, and a connection to High Speed 2. The latter would see a junction built south of East Midlands Parkway station rather than the previous plan of an East Midlands Hub further north on the Toton sidings. This will allow HS2 services to connect to both Derby and Nottingham city centres directly using the MML for access, which was a criticism of the previous HS2 eastern leg proposal.^[3]

Route definition

The term Midland Main Line has been used from the late 1840s to describe any route of the Midland Railway on which express trains were operated.

It is first recorded in print in 1848 in Bradshaw's railway almanack of that year.^[45] In 1849 it begins to be mentioned regularly in newspapers such as the Derby Mercury.^[46]

In 1867, the Birmingham Journal uses the term to describe the new railway running into St Pancras railway station.^[47]

In 1868, the term was used to describe the Midland Railway main route from North to South through Sheffield^[48] and also on routes to Manchester, Leeds and Carlisle.

Under British Rail the term was used to define the route between St Pancras and Sheffield, but since then, Network Rail has restricted it in its description of Route 19^[2] to the lines between St. Pancras and Chesterfield.

Accidents

• 26 September 1860 Bull bridge accident; bridge collapse
• 2 September 1861 Kentish Town rail accident; collision
• 2 September 1898 Wellingborough rail accident; derailment due to post trolley on track
• 24 December 1910 Hawes Junction rail crash; signalman forgot about train
• 2 September 1913 Ais Gill rail accident; collision
• 3 December 1923 Nunnery Colliery
• 13 December 1926 Orgreave Paddy Mail accident
• 1 February 2008 Barrow upon Soar rail accident

Operators

East Midlands Railway Class 222 at Leicester

Thameslink Class 700 at Cricklewood

East Midlands Railway

The principal operator is East Midlands Railway, which operates four InterCity trains every hour from London St Pancras with two trains per hour to both Nottingham and Sheffield. EMR use Class 222 Meridian and Class 180 Adelante trains in various carriage formations for its InterCity services.

EMR also operate a twice hourly commuter service from London St Pancras to Corby, which is branded as EMR Connect, using Class 360 Desiro electric trains.^[49]

Thameslink

Thameslink provides frequent, 24-hour^[50] commuter services south of Bedford as part of its Thameslink route to London Bridge, Gatwick Airport, Brighton, and Sutton, using 8-car and 12-car electric Class 700 trains.^[51]

Other operators

CrossCountry runs half-hourly services between Derby and Sheffield on its route between the South West and North East, and hourly services from Nottingham to Birmingham and Cardiff. Northern runs an hourly service from Leeds to Nottingham via Barnsley and Alfreton.

Other operators include TransPennine Express in the Sheffield area.

Route description

• Midland line
• 

  © User:Colin / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0

  The Victorian London St Pancras terminus opened on 1 October 1868

• 

  Wellingborough station

• 

  Modular design Corby station opened in 2009

• 

  (c) Stephen Pointer, CC BY-SA 2.0

  Leicester station

• 

  East Midlands Parkway station opened in 2007

• 

  (c) A-M-Jervis, CC BY-SA 2.0

  Nottingham station

• 

  Chesterfield station

• 

  Sheffield station

• 

  Increasing the structure gauge for a larger loading gauge can involve substantial work. The UK's Midland Main Line being upgraded in 2014.

The cities, towns and villages served by the MML are listed below. Stations in bold have a high usage. This table includes the historical extensions to Manchester (where it linked to the West Coast Main Line) and Carlisle (via Leeds where it meets with the 'modern' East Coast Main Line).

Network Rail groups all lines in the East Midlands and the route north as far as Chesterfield and south to London as route 19. The actual line extends beyond this into routes 10 and 11.

London to Nottingham and Sheffield (Network Rail Route 19)

Station	Village/town/city and county	Ordnance Survey grid reference	Year opened	Step free access	No. of platforms	Usage 2015/16 (millions)	Branches and loops
London St Pancras	St Pancras, London		1868		15	31.724	High Speed 1 diverges north of St Pancras
Kentish Town	Kentish Town, London		1868		4	2.844	Branch from to Gospel Oak to Barking line north of station
West Hampstead Thameslink	West Hampstead, London		1871		4	3.710
Cricklewood	Cricklewood, London		1868		4	1.057	Dudding Hill Line diverges north of Cricklewood
Hendon	Hendon, London		1868		4	1.178	Dudding Hill Line diverges south of Hendon
Mill Hill Broadway	Mill Hill, London	grid reference TQ213918	1868		4	1.949
Elstree & Borehamwood	Borehamwood, Hertfordshire		1868		4	3.382
Radlett	Radlett, Hertfordshire	grid reference TQ164998	1868		4	1.188
St Albans City	St Albans, Hertfordshire	grid reference TL155070	1868		4	7.451
Harpenden	Harpenden, Hertfordshire	grid reference TL137142	1868		4	3.337
Luton Airport Parkway	Luton, Bedfordshire	grid reference TL105205	1999		4	3.188
Luton	Luton, Bedfordshire	grid reference TL092216	1868		5	3.626
Leagrave	Leagrave, Luton, Bedfordshire	grid reference TL061241	1868		4	1.915
Harlington	Harlington, Bedfordshire	grid reference TL034303	1868		4	0.336
Flitwick	Flitwick, Bedfordshire	grid reference TL034350	1870		4	1.480
Bedford Midland	Bedford, Bedfordshire	grid reference TL041497	1859		5	3.830	Marston Vale line diverges south of Bedford
Wellingborough	Wellingborough, Northamptonshire	grid reference SP903681	1857		4	0.969
Kettering	Kettering, Northamptonshire	grid reference SP863780	1857		4	1.042	Oakham–Kettering line diverges north of Kettering at Glendon Jun
	via Corby & diversion route
Corby	Corby, Northamptonshire	grid reference SP891886	2009		1	0.278	Oakham–Kettering line
Oakham	Oakham, Rutland	grid reference SK856090	1848		2	0.213	Birmingham–Peterborough line
Melton Mowbray	Melton Mowbray, Leicestershire	grid reference SK752187	1848		2	0.266
	Main Line via Market Harborough
Market Harborough	Market Harborough, Leicestershire	grid reference SP741874	1850		2	0.870
Leicester	Leicester, Leicestershire	grid reference SK593041	1840		4	5.247	Birmingham to Peterborough Line diverges south of Leicester at Wigston Junction
Syston	Syston, Leicestershire	grid reference SK621111	1994		1	0.210	Birmingham to Peterborough Line diverges north of Syston
Sileby	Sileby, Leicestershire	grid reference SK602151	1994		2	0.123
Barrow-upon-Soar	Barrow-upon-Soar, Leicestershire	grid reference SK577172	1994		2	0.098
Loughborough	Loughborough, Leicestershire	grid reference SK543204	1872		3	1.298
East Midlands Parkway	Ratcliffe-on-Soar, Nottinghamshire (for East Midlands Airport)	grid reference SK496296	2007		4	0.306	Trent Junction to Clay Cross Junction via Derby (the original line), the Nottingham branch, and the Erewash Valley Line each diverge north of East Midlands Parkway
	Via Derby
Long Eaton	Long Eaton, Derbyshire	grid reference SK481321	1888		2	0.660	Cord south of Long Eaton to the Nottingham branch
Spondon	Spondon, Derby, Derbyshire	grid reference SK397351	1839		2	0.026
Derby	Derby, Derbyshire	grid reference SK362355	1839		6	3.767	Cross Country Route and Crewe to Derby Line diverges south of Derby
Duffield	Duffield, Derbyshire	grid reference SK345435	1841		3	0.061
Belper	Belper, Derbyshire	grid reference SK348475	1840		2	0.225
Ambergate	Ambergate, Derbyshire	grid reference SK348516	1840		1	0.042	Derwent Valley line diverges at Ambergate Junction
	Via Nottingham
Attenborough	Attenborough, Nottinghamshire	grid reference SK518346	1856		2	0.112
Beeston	Beeston, Nottinghamshire	grid reference SK533362	1839		2	0.574
Nottingham Midland	Nottingham, Nottinghamshire	grid reference SK574392	1904		7	7.200	Northbound trains reverse towards Langley Mill. Others pass through the station onto the Robin Hood Line, Grantham line or Lincoln line.
	Via Erewash Valley (bypassing or calling at Nottingham)
Ilkeston	Ilkeston, Derbyshire		2017		2
Langley Mill	Langley Mill, Derbyshire	grid reference SK449470	1847		2	0.116	Erewash Valley and Trent Nottingham lines rejoin south of Langley Mill.
Alfreton	Alfreton, Derbyshire	grid reference SK422561	1862		2	0.283
	Clay Cross Junction to Leeds
Chesterfield	Chesterfield, Derbyshire	grid reference SK388714	1840		3	1.731	Trent Junction to Clay Cross via Derby and Erewash Valley lines rejoin together south of Chesterfield.
Dronfield	Dronfield, Derbyshire	grid reference SK354784	1981		2	0.200	Hope Valley line diverges north of Dronfield
Sheffield	Sheffield, South Yorkshire	grid reference SK358869	1870		9	9.213	Hope Valley Line diverges south of Sheffield Sheffield to Lincoln Line diverges north of Sheffield
Meadowhall Interchange	Sheffield, South Yorkshire	grid reference SK390912	1990		4 NR	2.138	Hallam and Penistone Lines diverges at Meadowhall
	Via Doncaster
Doncaster	Doncaster, South Yorkshire	grid reference SE571032	1838		8	3.752	Connects to the East Coast Main Line south of Doncaster
	Bypassing Doncaster
Wakefield Westgate	Wakefield, West Yorkshire	grid reference SE327207	1867		2	2.519	Connects with the East Coast Main Line south of Wakefield Westgate
Leeds	Leeds, West Yorkshire	grid reference SE299331	1938		17	29.724	Leeds City lines

Tunnels, viaducts and major bridges

Major civil engineering structures on the Midland Main Line include the following.^[52][53]

Line-side monitoring equipment

Line-side train monitoring equipment includes hot axle box detectors (HABD) and wheel impact load detectors (WILD) ‘Wheelchex’, these are located as follows.^[53][55][52]

Ambergate Junction to Manchester

The complex network of road and rail around Ambergate Junction, formerly where Manchester expresses left the mainline

For marketing and franchising, this is no longer considered part of the Midland Main Line: see Manchester, Buxton, Matlock and Midlands Junction Railway

The line was once the Midland Railway's route from London St Pancras to Manchester, branching at Ambergate Junction along the Manchester, Buxton, Matlock and Midlands Junction Railway, now known as the Derwent Valley line. In days gone by, it featured named expresses such as The Palatine. Much later in the twentieth century, it carried the Midland Pullman.

This line was closed in the 1960s between Matlock and Buxton, severing an important link between Manchester and the East Midlands, which has never been satisfactorily replaced by any mode of transport. A section of the route remains in the hands of the Peak Rail preservation group, operating between Matlock and Rowsley to the north.

Leeds to Carlisle

For marketing and franchising, this is no longer considered part of the Midland Main Line: see Settle–Carlisle Railway.

A geographical representation of the aborted Midland Main Line diversion through the West Riding, which would have put Bradford on a through line and provided a direct connection to Scotland. (Existing lines shown in black and the diversion in red).

Map showing the proposed Midland line into Bradford

World War I prevented the Midland Railway from finishing its direct route through the West Riding to join the Settle and Carlisle (which would have cut six miles from the journey and avoided the need for reversal at Leeds).

The first part of the Midland's West Riding extension from the main line at Royston (Yorks.) to Dewsbury was opened before the war. However, the second part of the extension was not completed. This involved a viaduct at Dewsbury over the River Calder, a tunnel under Dewsbury Moor and a new approach railway into Bradford from the south at a lower level than the existing railway (a good part of which was to be in tunnel) leading into Bradford Midland (or Bradford Forster Square) station.

The 500 yards (460 m) gap between the stations at Bradford still exists. Closing it today would also need to take into account the different levels between the two Bradford stations, a task made easier in the days of electric rather than steam traction, allowing for steeper gradients than possible at the time of the Midland's proposed extension.

Two impressive viaducts remain on the completed part of the line between Royston Junction and Dewsbury as a testament to the Midland's ambition to complete a third direct Anglo-Scottish route. The line served two goods stations and provided a route for occasional express passenger trains before its eventual closure in 1968.

The failure to complete this section ended the Midland's hopes of being a serious competitor on routes to Scotland and finally put beyond all doubt that Leeds, not Bradford, would be the West Riding's principal city. Midland trains to Scotland therefore continued to call at Leeds before travelling along the Aire Valley to the Settle and Carlisle. From Carlisle they then travelled onwards via either the Glasgow and South Western or Waverley Route. In days gone by the line enjoyed named expresses such as the Thames–Clyde Express and The Waverley.

• Leeds along the Airedale line
  • Here is Apperley Junction for the Wharfedale line
• Shipley: here is the triangular junction for the branch line serving Bradford Forster Square
• Saltaire
• Bingley
• Crossflatts
• Keighley
  • Here is the Worth Valley Branch junction to Oxenhope.
• Steeton & Silsden
• Cononley
• Skipton
  • Here is Settle Junction for the line to Morecambe
    • Giggleswick
    • Clapham
      • Here was the junction for Ingleton and an end-on junction via Sedbergh to Low Gill on the London and North Western Railway (LNW) West Coast Main Line
    • Bentham
    • Lancaster Green Ayre
      • At this point the line divided: a triangular junction for the two lines:
        • Morecambe
        • Heysham Port, including a station for Middleton Road Heysham
• Settle
• Horton-in-Ribblesdale
• Ribblehead
• Dent
• Garsdale
  • At Hawes station, on the branch to the east of the main line, there was an end-on junction with the North Eastern Railway (NER) line across the Pennines to Northallerton
• Kirkby Stephen
• Appleby
• Langwathby
• Armathwaite
• Cumwhinton
• Carlisle

Former stations

As with most railway lines in Britain, the route used to serve far more stations than it currently does (and consequently passes close to settlements that it no longer serves). Places that the current main line used to serve include

• 

  Looking south along the Midland Main Line at St Albans

• 

  (c) Zverzia at the English Wikipedia, CC-BY-SA-3.0

  The Erewash Valley Line, part of the Midland Main Line. Seen here at Stapleford

• 

  High Speed Train near Chesterfield

• 

  (c) Chris McKenna (Thryduulf), CC BY-SA 4.0

  Leeds railway station, a former key reversal point on the Midland Main Line on the route north

See also

• Midland Main Line railway upgrade
• Great Central Main Line – Former competing main line
• East Coast Main Line
• West Coast Main Line
• Great Western Main Line
• Highland Main Line

Notes and references

Notes

References

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Midland Main Line.

Route map: