West Coast Mainline
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The West Coast Mainline is the main line which broadly runs from Glasgow Central to London Euston via Motherwell and Carstairs to Carlisle. Included also has been the line between Motherwell and Perth via Larbert and Stirling and at one time the Strathmore Line from Perth to Kinnaber Junction South of Aberdeen via Forfar over which the Railway Races were run between the East and West Coast Main Lines, the first train past Kinnaber getting to Aberdeen first.The Strathmore Line is long closed and went out in a blaze of glory hosting LNER Pacific hauled trains, mostly A4s on the three hour scheduled trains between Glasgow Buchanan Street and Aberdeen.
South of Carlisle, Manchester and Liverpool to Crewe, Wolverhampton, Birmingham New Street and Coventry are all now part of the WCML.
Electrification came to the WCML first in 1960 between Liverpool Lime Street and Crewe and Manchester London Road and Crewe, London Road being renamed Piccadilly.
Euston to Crewe, Birmingham, Wolverhampton followed in 1966 and the final part from Crewe to Glasgow Central in 1974.
Operated originally by the Caledonian, London and North Western Railways then the LMS and of course British Railways/ British Rail, under privatisation
Virgin Trains? and First Transpennine Express mainly operate these lines today.
The staions that are on the West Coast Mainline are Glasgow Central, Motherwell, Carstairs, Lockerbie, Carlisle, Penrith, Oxenholme Lake District, Lancaster, Preston, Wigan North Western, Warrington Bank Quay, Manchester Piccadilly, Crewe, Stafford, Bolton, Stockport, Stoke-on-Trent, Wolverhampton, Birmingham New Street, Lichfield Trent Valley, Tamworth, Birmingham International, Coventry, Nuneaton, Rugby, Northampton, Milton Keynes Central, Watford Junction and London Euston
Services
Virgin West Coast
1tph Glasgow Cntl-London Euston
1tp2h Glasgow Cntl-Birmingham N St
1tp2h Edinburgh Wav-Birmingham N St
2tpd Glasgow Cntl-Crewe
First Transpennine Express
1tp3h Edinburgh Wav-Manchester Airport
1tp3h Glasgow Cntl-Manchester Airport
South of Carlisle, Manchester and Liverpool to Crewe, Wolverhampton, Birmingham New Street and Coventry are all now part of the WCML.
Electrification came to the WCML first in 1960 between Liverpool Lime Street and Crewe and Manchester London Road and Crewe, London Road being renamed Piccadilly.
Euston to Crewe, Birmingham, Wolverhampton followed in 1966 and the final part from Crewe to Glasgow Central in 1974.
Operated originally by the Caledonian, London and North Western Railways then the LMS and of course British Railways/ British Rail, under privatisation
Virgin Trains? and First Transpennine Express mainly operate these lines today.
The staions that are on the West Coast Mainline are Glasgow Central, Motherwell, Carstairs, Lockerbie, Carlisle, Penrith, Oxenholme Lake District, Lancaster, Preston, Wigan North Western, Warrington Bank Quay, Manchester Piccadilly, Crewe, Stafford, Bolton, Stockport, Stoke-on-Trent, Wolverhampton, Birmingham New Street, Lichfield Trent Valley, Tamworth, Birmingham International, Coventry, Nuneaton, Rugby, Northampton, Milton Keynes Central, Watford Junction and London Euston
Services
Virgin West Coast
1tph Glasgow Cntl-London Euston
1tp2h Glasgow Cntl-Birmingham N St
1tp2h Edinburgh Wav-Birmingham N St
2tpd Glasgow Cntl-Crewe
First Transpennine Express
1tp3h Edinburgh Wav-Manchester Airport
1tp3h Glasgow Cntl-Manchester Airport