View source for Northampton loop

{{Use dmy dates|date=December 2016}}
{{Use British English|date=December 2016}}
{{Infobox rail line
| name                            = Northampton loop
| color                           = 
| logo                            = 
| logo_width                      = 145px
| image                           = Northampton Loop Line at Roade.JPG
| image_width                     = 300px
| caption                         = Southbound train emerging into [[Roade Cutting]] having climbed the incline on the loop line from Northampton to join the main line. The bridge in the distance is on Blisworth to [[Courteenhall]] Road
| type                            = Heavy rail
| system                          = [[National Rail]]
| status                          = Operational
| locale                          = [[Northamptonshire]]<br>[[East Midlands]]<br>[[West Midlands (region)]]
| start                           = {{stnlnk|Wolverton}} ([[West Coast Main Line]])
| end                             = {{stnlnk|Rugby}} ([[West Coast Main Line]])
| stations                        = Two
| routes                          = 
| daily_ridership                 = 
| open                            = [[1881 in rail transport|1881]]
| close                           = 
| owner                           = [[Network Rail]]
| operator                        = [[London Northwestern Railway]]<br>[[Avanti West Coast]]
| character                       = 
| depot                           = 
| stock                           = [[British Rail Class 350|Class 350 "Desiro"]]<br>[[British Rail Class 390|Class 390 "Pendolino"]]<br>[[British Rail Class 730|Class 730 "Aventra"]]
| linelength                      = Approx {{convert|23+3/4|mi}}
| tracklength                     = 
| tracks                          = Two
| gauge                           = {{track gauge|uksg|allk=on}}
| electrification                 = [[25 kV AC|25 kV 50 Hz AC]] [[OHLE]]
| speed                           = {{convert|75|mph|-1|abbr=on}}
| elevation                       = 
| map                             = [[File:Northampton loop.png|300px]]<br />([[:commons:File:Northampton loop.png|Click to expand]])
| map_state                       = uncollapsed
}}
{{Northampton loop line}}
The '''Northampton loop''' is a [[railway]] line serving the town of [[Northampton]]. It is a branch of the [[West Coast Main Line]], deviating from the faster direct main line which runs to the west. The WCML is a four track line up to either end of the Loop: the 'up' and 'down' fast tracks take the direct route while the 'up' and 'down' slow tracks are diverted via [[Northampton railway station]]. Generally, fast express trains run via the direct line, while freight and slower passenger services run via the loop line. 

The southern interconnect between the Northampton loop and the direct [[London]]–[[Birmingham]] main line is at [[Hanslope#Hanslope Junction|Hanslope Junction]], just north of [[Milton Keynes]]. The lines continue to run alongside until the two routes diverge north of [[Roade]] at the northern end of [[Roade Cutting]]. The loop line then runs north east for several miles until it reaches Northampton station. After Northampton, the line heads to the north-west for around twenty miles, until it re-joins the main line at [[Rugby railway station#Hillmorton Junction|Hillmorton Junction]] at [[Rugby, Warwickshire|Rugby]], just east of [[Rugby railway station|Rugby station]].<ref name="Elliott">{{cite web |last1=Elliott |first1=Peter H. |title=Rugby's Transport History |url=https://www.warwickshirerailways.com/lms/lnwr/rugby/station/rugby's_transport_history.pdf |date=1982|access-date=9 November 2021 |pages=128–133}}</ref>

==Services and operations==
The majority of passenger services on the line are provided by [[West Midlands Trains]] using [[British Rail Class 350|Class 350]] [[electric multiple unit]]s. [[British Rail Class 319|Class 319]] units are used for peak-hour express services between Northampton and London Euston. The service consists of three 'semi fast' trains per hour between [[Euston railway station|London Euston]] and [[Birmingham New Street railway station|Birmingham New Street]]. There is also an hourly local service between Northampton and Birmingham. Prior to December 2012 there was also a service to and from Crewe, but a few serve the loop line during morning and evenings and hourly on Sundays.

[[Avanti West Coast]] provide a small number of [[British Rail Class 390|Class 390 ''Pendolino'']] services to London at the extremes of the day. But nearly all Avanti West Coast trains use the direct main line. Line speeds on the loop line are currently limited to {{convert|75|mph|-1|abbr=on}}<ref name = "NRUG">{{cite web| url=http://www.northamptonrug.org.uk/Campaigns.htm| website=Northampton Rail Users Group| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160118050151/http://www.northamptonrug.org.uk/Campaigns.htm| archive-date=18 January 2016| title=Current Campaigns & Earlier Successes| date=2013}}</ref> compared to {{convert|125|mph|-1|abbr=on}} on the fast line, making the line unattractive to the routing of fast services. As of 2011, line speeds were expected to increase to {{convert|90|mph|-1|abbr=on}} once signalling improvements are in place north of Northampton up to Rugby.<ref name = "NRUG"/>

[[Long Buckby railway station|Long Buckby]]; the one other station on the line, is served by the London–Birmingham/Northampton–Birmingham services. The London–Crewe service does not stop at Long Buckby except on Sundays.

The line sees heavy [[freight train|freight]] traffic, as it is used by all freight trains on the southern part of the WCML. Many of these are [[Containerisation|container]] trains, with some serving the [[Daventry International Railfreight Terminal]] (DIRFT), which is between Northampton and Rugby (thus on the loop line).

==History==
[[File:Northampton Loop Line junction at Roade.JPG|thumb|Aerial photo, looking North, shows where the Northampton loop (right) diverges from the main line (left) at Roade.]]
[[File:Railway grade separation, Rugby (2) - geograph.org.uk - 1277345.jpg|thumb|Hillmorton Junction at Rugby, the grade separated northern junction of the Northampton loop]]
When the [[London and Birmingham Railway]] (L&BR) was constructed in the 1830s, Northampton was by-passed, with the line running on high ground to the west via [[Kilsby Tunnel]]. Traditionally, this was said to have been because wealthy Northampton landowners objected to
having a railway run through their land to reach the town.<ref name = "restore 2018">{{cite web |last1=Bickerdike |first1=Graeme |title=Stairway to heaven: shaft repairs at Kilsby tunnel |url=https://www.railengineer.co.uk/stairway-to-heaven-shaft-repairs-at-kilsby-tunnel/ |publisher=Rail Engineer |accessdate=5 July 2020 |date=1 December 2021}}</ref><ref>{{cite web| url=http://www.spartacus.schoolnet.co.uk/RAkilsby.htm| title=Kilsby Tunnel<!-- Bot generated title -->| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130903160013/http://www.spartacus.schoolnet.co.uk/RAkilsby.htm| archive-date=3 September 2013 }}</ref> However, an alternative view is that Northampton was by-passed because the [[Grade (slope)|gradients]] would have been too steep for the early locomotives of the 1830s to easily cope with. [[Robert Stephenson]] the engineer of the London and Birmingham Railway was determined to avoid gradients steeper than 1:330 (that is 1 [[Foot (unit)|foot]] of rising or falling gradient for every 330 feet of distance). As Northampton is located in the [[River Nene#Nene Valley|Nene Valley]], {{convert|120|ft|m|abbr=off}} lower than [[Blisworth]], the closest point the L&BR came, connecting the town would have required gradients significantly steeper than this.{{sfn|Kingscott|2008|page=}}{{sfn|Elliot|1985|page=}}

This meant however that Northampton, despite being a large town, did not have direct rail links to London. A branch from the main line was built to Northampton in the early 1840s: the [[Northampton and Peterborough Railway]], from [[Blisworth railway station|Blisworth]], which gave the town indirect rail links to London and Birmingham.<ref name="Elliott"/>

The successor to the L&BR, the [[London and North Western Railway]] (LNWR) decided to construct the loop line through Northampton in the 1870s. It was built as part of a wider scheme to double the capacity of the West Coast Main Line between {{rws|Bletchley}} and Rugby, by [[quadruple track|quadrupling]] the track; however, routing the additional tracks on a deviation via Northampton had the advantage of giving the town a much better rail service, including a direct service to London, and avoiding the expense of widening [[Kilsby Tunnel]]. The LNWR obtained Parliamentary approval for the line in 1875, and commenced construction in 1877. The line was opened for goods throughout on 1 August 1881, for passengers between Rugby and Northampton on 1 December 1881, and for passengers between Northampton and Roade on 3 April 1882. The loop line is a total of {{convert|23+3/4|mi}} long, approximately {{convert|2+1/4|mi}} longer than the direct line.<ref name="Elliott"/> 

The loop line made use of the existing but small [[Northampton railway station|Northampton Castle railway station]] which occupied part of the site of the historic [[Northampton Castle]]. The station needed to be expanded as part of the works, this required the almost complete demolition of what remained of the Castle to make way for it.<ref>{{Cite book|last1=Gough|first1=John|title=The Northampton & Harborough Line|year=1984|publisher=[[Railway and Canal Historical Society]]|location=Oakham|page=63|isbn=0-901461-35-0}}</ref>

Shortly after the completion of the loop line, the southern approach to Rugby station was remodelled, with a new [[flying junction]] built near [[Hillmorton]], which allowed trains from the loop line to run into Rugby station without conflicting with trains on the fast lines.<ref name="Elliott"/>
 
The line was [[Railway electrification in Great Britain|electrified]] along with the rest of the WCML during the 1960s in the wake of the BR [[1955 Modernisation Plan]].

The [[Daventry International Rail Freight Terminal]] (DIRFT); a major [[rail freight]] interchange, was opened in 1996 with a rail connection to the loop line, and has been expanded several times since.<ref>{{cite web |title=Vision |url=http://www.riig.org/vision.html |publisher=Railfreight Interchange Investment Group |access-date=10 November 2021}}</ref>

===Stations===

The only stations that are currently operational on the route are [[Northampton railway station|Northampton]] and [[Long Buckby railway station|Long Buckby]]. Previously there were five stations on the loop line, but only these two survive. The three stations closed were:<ref name="Elliott"/>

* [[Kilsby and Crick railway station|Kilsby and Crick]] (closed 1960)
* Long Buckby
* [[Althorp Park railway station|Althorp Park]] (closed 1960)
* [[Church Brampton railway station|Church Brampton]] (closed 1931)
* Northampton

==Proposed future development==
[[Warwickshire County Council]] has proposed a new station on the Northampton Loop Line called [[Rugby Parkway railway station|Rugby Parkway]], which would be on the south-eastern outskirts of [[Rugby, Warwickshire|Rugby]] serving the [[Hillmorton]] area of the town, and the new housing development at [[Houlton, Warwickshire|Houlton]]. The purpose of this would be to accommodate the future expansion of the town. The station was originally planned to open in 2019.<ref>{{cite web| title=Second train station to be built as Rugby expands| url=http://www.rugbyadvertiser.co.uk/news/local-news/second-train-station-to-be-built-as-rugby-expands-1-7012226| website=Rugby Advertiser| access-date=23 November 2015| date=15 October 2015}}</ref>

As funding was not secured, this deadline was not met.<ref>{{cite web |title=Plans for second Rugby train station on hold due to lack of funds |url=https://rugbyobserver.co.uk/news/plans-for-second-rugby-train-station-on-hold-due-to-lack-of-funds-6883/ |publisher=Rugby Observer |access-date=8 November 2021 |date=7 June 2018}}</ref> Nevertheless, in July 2019, Warwickshire County Council's Draft Rail Strategy for 2019-2034 proposed that the station would be opened between 2019 and 2026, with the possibility that at some point additional platforms could be provided on the 'fast' West Coast Main Line lines, in addition to the slow lines via Northampton.<ref name="WCCRS">{{cite web |title=Warwickshire Rail Strategy 2019-2034 |url=https://ask.warwickshire.gov.uk/communities/draft-warwickshire-rail-strategy-2019-2034/supporting_documents/WRIS%20DRAFT%20for%20consultation%20201934%20FINAL.pdf|page=25|publisher=Warwickshire County Council |access-date=8 November 2021}}</ref>
==Infrastructure==
The Northampton loop starts at the northern end of [[Roade Cutting]]. The line is double track and electrified throughout. There are three tunnels on the Northampton loop, the longest of which is [[Hunsbury Hill Tunnel]] between Roade and Northampton, which is {{convert|1152|yard|metre}} long.<ref name="RTL G-P">{{cite web |title=Railway tunnel lengths. Locations beginning G-P |url=http://www.railwaycodes.org.uk/tunnels/tunnels2.shtm |publisher=railwaycodes.org |access-date=19 November 2021}}</ref> There are two shorter tunnels between Long Buckby and Rugby, these are Watford Lodge Tunnel at {{convert|115|yard|metre}},<ref name="RTL Q-Z">{{cite web |title=Railway tunnel lengths. Locations beginning Q-Z|url=http://www.railwaycodes.org.uk/tunnels/tunnels3.shtm |publisher=railwaycodes.org |access-date=19 November 2021}}</ref> and Crick Tunnel at {{convert|595|yard|metre}}.<ref name="RTL A-F">{{cite web |title=Railway tunnel lengths. Locations beginning A-F|url=http://www.railwaycodes.org.uk/tunnels/tunnels1.shtm |publisher=railwaycodes.org |access-date=19 November 2021}}</ref> The line crosses the [[Pulpit Bridge]] (or "Armchair Bridge") between Rugby and Long Buckby.<ref>{{NHLE|num=1404795|desc=Pulpit Bridge|accessdate=18 April 2024}}</ref>

==Accidents and incidents==
*In January 1906, a young woman, 19 year old Lily Yolande Marie Rochaid, was found dead in Crick Tunnel, having fallen from the train she was travelling on from London to Rugby. A search was called after the train arrived at Rugby and it was noticed that the door of the carriage was open and no-one was inside. The circumstances of her death were never fully explained.<ref>{{cite web| title=MYSTERIOUS DEATH OF A PRINCETHORPE GIRL. ANOTHER TUNNEL MYSTERY| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160827212255/http://archive.thetablet.co.uk/article/27th-january-1906/27/mysterious-death-of-a-princethorpe-girl-another-tu| url=http://archive.thetablet.co.uk/article/27th-january-1906/27/mysterious-death-of-a-princethorpe-girl-another-tu| archive-date=27 August 2016| website=The Tablet| access-date=21 August 2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal |title=Lillie Yolande Marie Rochaid |journal = Unsolvedmurders.co.uk|date = 20 January 1906|volume = 3962|issue = 1906|url=http://www.unsolved-murders.co.uk/murder-content.php?key=3962&termRef=Lillie%20Yolande%20Marie%20Rochaid |publisher=Unsolved Murders |access-date=10 November 2021|last1 = Murders|first1 = Unsolved}}</ref>
*Two [[Milton Malsor#1967 and 1969 railway accidents|very similar railway accidents occurred on the Northampton loop in 1967 and 1969]]. The 1967 incident was near the village of [[Milton Malsor]] between Roade and [[Hunsbury Hill Tunnel|Hunsbury Hill tunnel]] and the other in 1969 near the northern end of Roade cutting.
*On 20 March 1985, the body of 35 year old social worker Janet Maddocks was found beside the line to the north of Northampton station. Jack Roy, aged 15 at the time, was later convicted of murdering her and throwing her from a train.<ref>{{cite web |title=Her Unfinished Journey The Murder of Mrs Janet Mary Maddocks (1985) |date = 19 August 2020|url=https://www.btphg.org.uk/?page_id=8519 |publisher=British Transport Police History Group |access-date=10 November 2021}}</ref>

==References==
{{Commons category}}
{{Attached KML|display=title,inline}}
{{reflist}}
* {{cite book| title=The Last Days Of Steam In Northamptonshire| first=John M.C.| last=Healy| year=1989| isbn=0-86299-613-9}}
* {{cite book| title=Rugby's Railway Heritage| first=Peter H.| last=Elliot| year=1985| isbn=0-907917-06-2}}
* {{cite book| last=Kingscott| first=Geoffrey| title=Lost Railways Of Northamptonshire| year=2008| publisher=Countryside Books| isbn=978-1-84674-108-1}}

{{Railway lines in the East Midlands}}
{{Railway lines in the West Midlands}}

[[Category:Transport in Northampton]]
[[Category:Rail transport in Northamptonshire]]
[[Category:Railway lines in the East Midlands]]
[[Category:Railway lines in the West Midlands (region)]]
[[Category:Standard gauge railways in England]]