Cross Country Route
Template:Short description Script error: No such module "about". Template:Use dmy dates Template:Use British English Template:Infobox rail line Template:Cross Country Route RDT The Cross Country Route is a long-distance railway route in England, which runs from Template:Rws to Template:Rws via Template:Rws, Template:Rws, Template:Rws and Template:Rws or Template:Rws. Inter-city services on the route, which include some of the longest passenger journeys in the UK such as Template:Stnlnk to Template:Stnlnk, are operated by CrossCountry.
It is classed as a high-speed line because its sections from Birmingham to Template:Rws and from Leeds to York have a speed limit of Template:Convert; however, the section from Birmingham to Bristol is limited to Template:Convert because of numerous level crossings, especially half-barrier level crossings, and the section from Wakefield to Leeds has the same limit because of a number of curves.Script error: No such module "Unsubst".
History
The Birmingham–Bristol section was built as the Birmingham and Gloucester and Bristol and Gloucester RailwaysTemplate:Refn before joining the Midland Railway, the southern forerunner to the cross-country route. From Birmingham to the north-northeast, the line had three separately owned sections, namely the:
- Birmingham and Derby Junction Railway to Derby, thence the
- North Midland Railway to Leeds, thence the
- York and North Midland Railway.
From the Labour Government's nationalisation in 1948 until privatisation in 1990, the route ran through all six regions of British Rail but did not have timetabling priority in any of them. Therefore the services were poorly promoted and thus not always well-patronised.Script error: No such module "Unsubst".
Most Derby–Nottingham local passenger trains were taken over by diesel units from 14 April 1958, taking about 34 minutes between the two cities.[1]Template:Full citation needed
In the 1990s most services were operated by British Rail's InterCity business unit. As part of the privatisation of British Rail, these were taken over by Virgin CrossCountry in 1997, with the Class 47 hauled Mark 2 and High Speed Train sets replaced by Class 220 and Class 221 diesel multiple units in the early 2000s.[2][3]
The use of the route for freight has decreased, because of the bulk of haulage switching to roads and the building of the M5, M6 and M1 motorways.
Abortive British Rail proposals for complete electrification
In the 1960s the route was considered for electrification.Script error: No such module "Unsubst". In the early 1980s, electrification was again discussed at length and documentation for various proposals was produced in 1981.[4] This would have been particularly beneficial for climbing the Lickey Incline between Cheltenham and Birmingham, as many of the early diesels were under-powered. 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 cross-country route by 2000.[5] Under the governments that succeeded the 1976–79 Labour government, the proposal was not implemented.
Route
The route is well connected, and aside from its own alignment it uses parts of the South Wales Main Line, Midland Main Line, Swinton–Doncaster line, and the East Coast Main Line. Major cities and towns served along the route include:
- Nominal start-point at Derby
Milepost zero for the main predecessor Derby to Bristol route has always been Derby, hence a train travelling the whole route starts out going "up" then becomes "down". The Birmingham to Derby section of the route has a line speed of Template:Convert, while Birmingham to Bristol is restricted to Template:Convert because of a number of half-barrier level crossings.
Electrification
The line is not fully electrified, but some sections are overhead electrified at 25 kV AC such as Bromsgrove to Grand Junction,[6] with further electrified sections around Template:Stnlnk and the East Coast Main Line near Template:Stnlnk. Network Rail stated in 2014 that the line between Template:Stnlnk and Template:Stnlnk would be electrified as part of the Midland Main Line upgrade.[7] However, the electrification programme was severely cut back in July 2017.[8] Template:As of, Network Rail is working on the section between York and Church Fenton.[9] The rest of the section between Leeds and York has electrification planned as part of the Transpennine Route Upgrade, which itself is part of the Integrated Rail Plan for the North and Midlands.[10][11] This plan also includes full Midland Main Line electrification and upgrades.
Electrification between Westerleigh Junction (near Yate, Gloucestershire) and Template:Rws was planned as part of the 21st-century modernisation of the Great Western Main Line, but Template:As of work has yet to progress beyond Filton East Curve, south-west of Template:Rws.
Services
Most long-distance services on the route are operated by Class 220/221 Voyagers, although a few services, until recently, operated using High Speed Trains. These trains are capable of achieving Template:Convert, compared to the previous Class 47s and Mk 2 coaching stock, which had a top speed of Template:Convert.
See also
- CrossCountry
- Rail services in the West of England
- Tees–Exe line
- Transport in Wales
- Virgin CrossCountry
Notes
References
Template:Reflist Template:Sister project
Script error: No such module "Navbox". Template:Transport in Gloucestershire
- ↑ Template:Cite magazine
- ↑ Template:Cite magazine
- ↑ Template:Cite magazine
- ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
- ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
- ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
- ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
- ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
- ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
- ↑ Template:Cite magazine
- ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".