SafekipediaWest Coast Main Line
Adapted from Wikipedia · Discoverer experience
The West Coast Main Line (WCML) is a very important railway in Great Britain. It connects big cities like London and Glasgow, and also has branches to places such as Birmingham, Manchester, Liverpool, and Edinburgh. This railway is one of the busiest in Europe because it carries many different kinds of trains, including fast trains between cities, local trains, trains for people living close to the tracks, and trains carrying goods.
The WCML is very long, stretching 399 miles (642 km) from London to Glasgow, with many extra tracks making the total length about 700 miles (1,127 km). It is also a key route for moving goods across Europe, linking the Channel Tunnel to places like the West Midlands, North West England, and Scotland. Because it is so important, it has been chosen as a main route for Europe’s transportation network.
Over time, the WCML was built by many different companies and later joined together. It was fully electrified in the late 1950s to early 1970s, allowing faster and more modern trains to run on it. Today, special trains called Class 390 Pendolinos can travel up to 125 mph (201 km/h) on parts of the line, making trips quicker and more comfortable for passengers.
Geography
The West Coast Main Line stretches 399 miles (642 km) from London Euston to Glasgow Central. Along the way, it passes through important stops like Watford Junction, Milton Keynes Central, Rugby, Stafford, Crewe, Warrington Bank Quay, Wigan North Western, Preston, Lancaster, Oxenholme Lake District, Penrith, and Carlisle.
The route includes special paths to help trains avoid big towns and cities such as Northampton, Coventry, Birmingham, and Wolverhampton. Smaller paths also connect to places like Stoke-on-Trent, Macclesfield, Stockport, Manchester, Runcorn, and Liverpool. There is also a path to Edinburgh from Carstairs in Scotland, which links the West Coast Main Line with another important railway line.
To make travel easier, special trains called tilting trains were introduced in 2003. These trains can lean when going around curves, making the ride smoother and faster.
History
Pre-grouping 1837–1923
The West Coast Main Line started as many small railway lines built by different companies in the 1830s and 1840s. The first part opened in 1837, connecting Birmingham to Liverpool and Manchester. More parts were added over the years until the whole line from London to Glasgow was finished by 1881. Trains could now travel between these big cities for the first time.
LMS 1923–1948
In 1923, all these lines were joined under one company called the London, Midland and Scottish Railway. They worked hard to make trains faster and more comfortable, especially between London and Glasgow.
British Rail 1948–1997
After World War II, the government took control of the railways. They modernised the line, making it faster and adding new electric trains. This helped people travel quicker between London, Birmingham, Manchester, Liverpool, and Glasgow.
Privatised era 1997–present
In the 1990s, private companies started running the trains. They planned big upgrades to make the line even faster, but these plans were changed many times. Finally, by 2008, the line was fully upgraded, making trains faster and more reliable than ever before.
Infrastructure
Track
The main part of the West Coast Main Line has four tracks from London to just past Winsford. Near Milton Keynes, the tracks split, with one pair going straight and the other going through Northampton before joining up again. The tracks stay four until they become three, then go back to four again. There are parts with only two tracks, especially near Glasgow Central.
The line has many branches, connecting to places like the West Midlands, North Wales, Greater Manchester, and Merseyside.
Electrification
Most of the line uses electricity from overhead wires. Some newer branches in the north west started using electricity between 2012 and 2019, like the lines from Preston to Blackpool North, Preston to Manchester Piccadilly through Bolton, Wigan to Liverpool through St Helens Shaw Street and St Helens Junction, and Wigan to Lostock Parkway.
Rolling stock
Most of the trains used on the West Coast Main Line are new. Virgin Trains promised to add a special group of fast trains called Class 390 Pendolino trains for long trips. There were 53 of these Pendolino trains, plus three special diesel trains called Super Voyagers for certain routes.
After some changes in 2007, more Super Voyagers were used by Virgin West Coast instead of another group of trains. These diesel trains were used on routes that don’t have electric power, like from London to Chester and Holyhead. By 2012, the Pendolino trains were made bigger, and four brand new sets were added to replace one that was lost in an accident.
Some older trains are still used for special night services, like the Caledonian Sleeper, until newer trains were added in 2019. There are also tables showing the different types of trains used on the West Coast Main Line.
Commuter and regional trains
High-speed trains
Sleeper trains
| Group | Class | Image | Type | Top speed | Operator | Routes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| mph | km/h | ||||||
| Bombardier Voyager | Class 220 | Diesel-electric multiple unit | 125 | 200 | CrossCountry | Birmingham New Street–Manchester Piccadilly Glasgow Central–Edinburgh Waverley before joining or leaving the ECML | |
| Class 221 | |||||||
| Alstom Pendolino | Class 390 | Electric multiple unit | Avanti West Coast | London Euston–Manchester Piccadilly London Euston–Liverpool Lime Street London Euston–Blackpool North London Euston–Birmingham New Street and the West Midlands London Euston–Glasgow Central and Edinburgh Waverley | |||
| CAF Civity | Class 397 | TransPennine Express | Manchester Airport and Liverpool Lime Street–Glasgow Central and Edinburgh Waverley | ||||
| Hitachi AT300 | Class 802 Nova 1 | Bi-mode multiple unit | |||||
| Class 805 Evero | Avanti West Coast | London Euston–Chester London Euston–Blackpool North London Euston–Wrexham General London Euston–Liverpool Lime Street London Euston–Wolverhampton London Euston–Holyhead | |||||
| Class 807 | Electric multiple unit | Avanti West Coast | London Euston–Blackpool North London Euston–Liverpool Lime Street London Euston–Wolverhampton London Euston–Birmingham New Street London Euston–Manchester Piccadilly | ||||
| Class | Image | Type | Top speed | Operator | Routes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| mph | km/h | |||||
| Class 92 | Electric locomotive | 87 | 140 | GB Railfreight, on behalf of Caledonian Sleeper | London Euston–Glasgow Central or Edinburgh Waverley | |
| Mark 5 coach | 100 | 161 | Caledonian Sleeper | All Caledonian Sleeper services | ||
Operators
Avanti West Coast
The main train company on the West Coast Main Line is Avanti West Coast. They run most of the long-distance trains. In December 2019, they started operating under a new plan called the West Coast Partnership. This includes running trains on the High Speed 2 line and the existing West Coast Main Line.
Avanti West Coast has many trains leaving London Euston every hour. Some go to Manchester Piccadilly, Birmingham New Street, Chester, Liverpool Lime Street, and Glasgow Central. There are also special trains during busy times and a few trains each day to Holyhead and Wrexham General.
West Midlands Trains
West Midlands Trains runs many local and commuter trains on the West Coast Main Line. They also have some longer trains that go to London Euston. From London Euston, they have trains every hour to Birmingham, Northampton, Crewe, and Milton Keynes Central. They also run trains on smaller lines connected to the main route.
CrossCountry
CrossCountry runs trains that use parts of the West Coast Main Line. They have trains between Coventry and Manchester Piccadilly, Bournemouth, and Bristol Temple Meads. They also have trains between Coventry and Birmingham New Street, going to Reading or Newcastle. In summer, some of their trains go to places like Paignton.
ScotRail
ScotRail runs trains on parts of the West Coast Main Line in Scotland. This includes trains on the Argyle Line from Cambuslang to Carluke, the North Berwick Line from Glasgow Central to North Berwick, and the Glasgow South Western Line near Carlisle.
Southern
Southern runs trains on the West London Line and between Wembley Central and Watford Junction. They have one train each hour to East Croydon and to Watford Junction.
TransPennine Express
TransPennine Express runs one train each hour between Manchester Piccadilly or Liverpool Lime Street and Glasgow Central or Edinburgh Waverley. The trains switch between going to each city.
Caledonian Sleeper
Caledonian Sleeper runs overnight trains between London and Scotland along the whole West Coast Main Line. There is one train each way every day.
Recent developments
Felixstowe and Nuneaton freight capacity scheme
Main article: Birmingham to Peterborough Line
Work is happening to help more freight trains travel between the Haven ports and the Midlands. This includes adding extra tracks:
- The Nuneaton North Chord opened on 15 November 2012, making it easier for trains to travel between the Birmingham to Peterborough Line and the West Coast Main Line.
- The Ipswich chord opened in March 2014, letting trains go straight from the Port of Felixstowe towards the Midlands without turning around.
Stafford Area Improvements Programme
Plans include a special junction and extra tracks near Stafford to Norton Bridge. This replaces an old junction where the Stafford to Manchester via Stoke-on-Trent line splits from the main route. The changes help trains move better and save time. This allows more trains to run between Euston and the North West, more trains from Manchester to Birmingham, and more freight trains near Stafford.
Work to update signals for this project was finished in summer 2015. The tracks near Norton Bridge were done by December 2016, and a new schedule started in December 2017.
Weaver Junction to Liverpool signalling
In 2016, work was done to update signals on the track from Liverpool to Weaver Junction. Control of the signals moved to the Manchester Rail Operating Centre, removing old signal boxes. These changes made trips on this part of the line faster.
Proposed development
Increased line speed
In 2007, Virgin Trains suggested making the train go faster on parts of the WCML, especially between Stafford and Rugby on the Trent Valley Line. They wanted to raise the speed from 125 to 135 mph (201 to 217 km/h). This could let trains arrive sooner and add more trips. They thought trains could go this fast using special technology, but rules set in 1991 still stop this. In 2009, a government leader said there were no plans to change the speed, so for now, trains will stay at 125 mph (201 km/h). During this time, more people started using these trains.
Crossrail extension
In 2011, Network Rail suggested extending the Crossrail lines along the WCML to places like Tring and Milton Keynes Central. This would need building a tunnel near Old Oak Common in West London, linking Crossrail to the WCML. Some Crossrail trains end at London Paddington because there isn’t enough space, but this plan could let them go further. It might also help reduce crowded trains at Euston station. However, this plan hasn’t been approved or paid for yet. In 2014, the government started studying it more.
Route
See also: Trent Valley line
In June 2019, Network Rail created five regions to help manage Britain's railways. In August and September 2019, 14 routes were set up to take care of the tracks and stations in these regions. The WCML goes through two of these regions and is part of three routes.
The WCML serves many cities and towns, and the stations are shown in the tables below. Some stations are only served by local trains, not the fast trains. Between Euston and Watford Junction, the WCML runs close to another line called the Watford DC Line, which is now part of London Overground.
The North Wales Coast Line between Crewe and Holyhead is not electrified. Trains between London, Chester, and Holyhead use special bi-mode units.
London to Glasgow and Edinburgh
The WCML is known for its many branches between London and Glasgow. There are many connections in the West Midlands area.
Branches and loops
The WCML has many branches, and the tables below show the main stations on these branches.
Rugby–Birmingham–Wolverhampton–Stafford
Main article: Rugby–Birmingham–Stafford Line
Tunnels, viaducts and major bridges
The WCML has many important structures, like tunnels and bridges. Many of these were built when the line first opened in the 1830s and are now protected as historic buildings.
WCML branches and junctions
| Railway Structure | Length | Distance from Carlisle | ELR | Location |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Clyde Bridge | 8 chains | 102 miles 04 chains – 101 miles 76 chains | WCM2 | South of Glasgow Central |
| Eglinton Street Tunnels | 200 yards (183 m) | 101 miles 22 chains – 101 miles 13 chains | ||
| Clyde Viaduct No. 37 | 94 miles 16 chains | West of Uddingston | ||
| Orbiston Viaduct No. 24 (River Calder) | 5 chains | 90 miles 62 chains – 90 miles 57 chains | Between Uddingston and Motherwell | |
| Mouse Water Viaduct | 5 chains | 76 miles 13 chains – 76 miles 08 chains | WCM1 | Between Carluke and Carstairs |
| Float Viaduct (River Clyde) | 5 chains | 72 miles 52 chains – 72 miles 47 chains | Between Carstairs South Junction and Lockerbie | |
| Lamington Viaduct (River Clyde) | 6 chains | 62 miles 70 chains – 62 miles 64 chains | ||
| Crawford Viaduct (River Clyde) | 5 chains | 55 miles 62 chains – 55 miles 57 chains | ||
| Harthorpe Viaduct (Elvan Water) | 6 chains | 47 miles 06 chains – 47 miles 00 chains | ||
| Elvan Water Viaduct | 42 miles 78 chains | |||
| Cogrie Viaduct (River Annan) | 4 chains | 35 miles 70 chains – 35 miles 66 chains | ||
| Dryfe Water Viaduct | 4 chains | 27 miles 32 chains – 27 miles 28 chains | ||
| Milk Water Viaduct | 7 chains | 23 miles 75 chains – 23 miles 68 chains | Between Lockerbie and Carlisle stations | |
| Mein Water Viaduct | 17 miles 65 chains | |||
| Kirtle Water Viaduct | 15 miles 60 chains | |||
| Sark Viaduct (Scotland/England Border) | 8 miles 55 chains | |||
| Esk Viaduct | 7 chains | 6 miles 50 chains – 6 miles 43 chains | ||
| Eden Viaduct | 3 chains | 1 mile 23 chains – 1 mile 20 chains | ||
| Caldew Viaduct | 7 chains | 0 miles 66 chains – 0 miles 59 chains | ||
| Distance from Lancaster | ||||
| Eamont Viaduct | 5 chains | 50 miles 12 chains – 50 miles 07 chains | CGJ7 | Between Penrith and Oxenholme stations |
| Lowther Viaduct | 7 chains | 48 miles 57 chains – 48 miles 50 chains | ||
| Birkbeck Viaduct | 33 miles 28 chains | |||
| North Lune Viaduct | 32 miles 20 chains | |||
| River Lune | 31 miles 55 chains | |||
| Docker Garth's Viaduct | 6 chains | 24 miles 03 chains – 23 miles 77 chains | ||
| Beela Viaduct | 13 miles 02 chains | Between Oxenholme Lake District and Lancaster | ||
| Lune Viaduct | 12 chains | 0 miles 38 chains – 0 miles 26 chains | ||
| Distance from Preston | ||||
| Lancaster Canal | 20 miles 36 chains | CGJ6 | ||
| Conder Viaduct | 16 miles 76 chains | Between Lancaster and Preston | ||
| Wyre Viaduct | 13 miles 01 chains | |||
| Barton Viaduct | 4 miles 30 chains | |||
| Fylde Road Viaduct | 0 miles 64 chains | |||
| Distance from Newton-le-Willows Junction | ||||
| Ribble Viaduct | 12 chains | 21 miles 33 chains – 21 miles 21 chains | CGJ5 | Between Preston and Wigan North Western |
| River Yarrow Viaduct | 5 chains | 14 miles 55 chains – 14 miles 50 chains | ||
| Leeds Liverpool Canal | 4 chains | 6 miles 04 chains – 6 miles 00 chains | Between Wigan North Western and Warrington Bank Quay | |
| 7 chains | 4 miles 24 chains − 4 miles 17 chains | |||
| Distance from London Euston | ||||
| River Mersey | 181 miles 25 chains | CGJ2 | South of Warrington Bank Quay | |
| Acton Grange Viaducts (Manchester Ship Canal) | 5 chains | 180 miles 40 chains – 180 miles 35 chains | ||
| Preston Brook Tunnel | 78 yards (71 m) | 176 miles 07 chains – 176 miles 04 chains | North of Weaver Junction | |
| Birdswood Tunnel (Up Liverpool flyover) | 1 chain | 175 miles 44 chains – 175 miles 43 chains | CGJ1 | Weaver Junction |
| Dutton Viaduct (River Weaver) | 22 chains | 174 miles 18 chains – 173 miles 76 chains | North of Acton Bridge | |
| Vale Royal Viaduct (River Weaver) | 6 chains | 168 miles 72 chains – 168 miles 66 chains | South of Hartford | |
| River Sow | 137 miles 52 chains | LEC4 | Between former Norton Bridge and Stafford | |
| Baswich Viaducts (Staffs. & Worc. Canal and River Penk) | 7 chains | 131 miles 57 chains – 131 miles 50 chains | LEC2 | Between Stafford and Rugeley Trent Valley |
| Shugborough Tunnel | 777 yards (710 m) | 129 miles 01 chains – 128 miles 46 chains | ||
| Shugborough Viaduct (River Trent) | 3 chains | 127 miles 71 chains – 127 miles 68 chains | ||
| Trent & Mersey Canal | 127 mile 22 chains | |||
| River Trent Viaduct | 4 chains | 122 miles 18 chains – 122 miles 14 chains | Between Rugeley Trent Valley and Lichfield Trent Valley | |
| Trent and Mersey Canal | 121 miles 29 chains | |||
| Coventry Canal | 115 miles 18 chains | Between Lichfield Trent Valley and Tamworth | ||
| River Tame | 4 chains | 112 miles 36 chains – 112 miles 32 chains | ||
| Tamworth Viaduct (River Anker) | 109 miles 70 chains | South of Tamworth station | ||
| Polesworth North Viaduct | 4 chains | 106 miles 53 chains – 106 miles 49 chains | North of Polesworth | |
| Polesworth South Viaduct (River Anker) | 4 chains | 105 miles 75 chains – 105 miles 71 chains | Between Polesworth and Atherstone | |
| Coventry Canal | 105 miles 59 chains | |||
| 102 miles 05 chains | ||||
| River Anker Viaduct | 2 chains | 96 miles 38 chains – 96 miles 36 chains | Between Nuneaton and Rugby | |
| Ashby Canal | 94 miles 61 chains | |||
| Oxford Canal | 89 miles 61 chains | |||
| 88 miles 10 chains | ||||
| 85 miles 54 chains | ||||
| Avon Viaduct | 5 chains | 84 miles 09 chains – 84 miles 04 chains | ||
| Oxford Canal | 82 miles 16 chains | HNR | Northampton line, between Rugby and Long Buckby | |
| Crick Tunnel | 595 yards (544 m) | 79 miles 47 chains – 79 miles 20 chains | ||
| Grand Union Canal | 78 miles 60 chains | |||
| Watford Lodge Tunnel | 115 yards | 78 miles 52 chains – 78 miles 47 | ||
| River Nene Viaduct | 5 chains | 67 miles 77 chains – 67 miles 72 chains | Northampton line, between Long Buckby and Northampton | |
| River Nene Viaduct | 5 chains | 66 miles 09 chains – 66 miles 04 chains | ||
| Earl Cowpers (River Nene) | 6 chains | 65 miles 19 chains – 65 miles 13 chains | Northampton line, between Northampton and Wolverton | |
| Grand Junction Canal | 4 chains | 65 miles 11 chains – 65 miles 07 chains | ||
| Hunsbury Hill Tunnel | 1152 yards (1053 m) | 64 miles 54 chains – 63 miles 70 chains | ||
| Roade Cutting ‘Birdcage’ support structure | 49 chains | 60 miles 76 chains – 60 miles 27 | ||
| Oxford Canal | 79 miles 71 chains | LEC1 | Between Rugby and Wolverton | |
| Kilsby Tunnel | 1 mile 656 yards (2209 m) | 78 miles 13 chains – 76 miles 64 chains | ||
| Leicester Branch Canal | 75 miles 11 chains | |||
| Grand Union Canal | 73 miles 09 chains | |||
| Weedon Viaduct | 4 chains | 69 miles 15 chains – 69 miles 11 chains | ||
| Stowe Hill Tunnel | 491 yards (449 m) | 68 miles 32 chains – 68 miles 09 chains | ||
| Grand Union Canal | 62 miles 59 chains | |||
| Wolverton Viaduct | 9 chains | 53 miles 01 chains – 52 miles 72 chains | ||
| Grand Union Canal | 2 chains | 52 miles 42 chains – 52 miles 40 chains | North of Wolverton station | |
| 52 miles 18 chains | South of Wolverton | |||
| Linslade Tunnels | 287 yards (262 m), down fast 283 yards (259 m) | 40 miles 73 chains – 40 miles 60 chains | North of Leighton Buzzard | |
| Grand Union Canal | 34 miles 53 chains | Between Cheddington and Tring | ||
| Northchurch Tunnels | 349 yards (319 m) | 29 miles 12 chains – 28 miles 76 chains | North of Berkhamsted | |
| Grand Union Canal | 25 miles 21 chains | Between Berkhamsted and Hemel Hempstead | ||
| Nash Mills railway bridge (crosses the Grand Union Canal) | 22 miles 26 chains | Between Apsley and Kings Langley | ||
| Abbots Langley railway bridge | 27 yards | 22 miles 15 chains | South of Kings Langley | |
| Watford Slow Tunnel | 1 mile 230 yards (1820 m) | 19 miles 44 chains – 18 miles 33 chains | North of Watford Junction | |
| Watford Fast Tunnel | 1 mile 55 yards (1660 m) | 19 miles 40 chains – 18 miles 38 chains | ||
| Colne Viaduct | 3 chains | 16 miles 66 chains – 16 miles 63 chains | North of Bushey | |
| Bushey Arches Viaduct | 6 chains | 16 miles 11 chains – 16 miles 05 chains | ||
| Brent Viaducts | 6 miles 77 chains | West of Stonebridge Park | ||
| Kensal Green Tunnels | 320 yards (293 m) | 4 miles 59 chains – 4 miles 45 chains | West of Kensal Green | |
| Primrose Hill Tunnel (Fast) | 1182 yards (1081 m) | 2 miles 27 chains – 1 mile 54 chains | North-west of London Euston | |
| Primrose Hill Tunnel (Slow) | 1170 yards (1070 m) | 2 miles 27 chains – 1 mile ? chains | ||
| Lower Park Street Tunnel | 127 yards (116 m) | 0 miles 68 chains – 0 miles 62 chains | ||
| Upper Park Street Tunnel | 162 yards (148 m) | 0 miles 67 chains – 0 miles 60 chains | ||
| Location | Type | Route | Details |
|---|---|---|---|
| Camden Jnct | Branch | 18 | Watford DC Line (WDCL) |
| + | Junction | 6 | North London Line from Primrose Hill joins WDCL and WCML |
| Willesden Jnct | Junction | 6 | North London Line from West Hampstead joins WDCL and WCML |
| + | Junction | 2 | West London Line from Clapham Junction joins WCML |
| + | Junction | 6 | North London Line from Richmond joins WCML |
| Willesden Junction | Interchange | 6 | North London Line with Watford DC Line |
| Watford Junction | Branch | 18 | Watford DC Line terminates at separate bay platforms |
| + | Branch | 18 | St Albans Branch Line (AC single line single section) to St Albans Abbey |
| Bletchley | Branch | 18 | Marston Vale Line to Bedford |
| Bletchley High Level (Denbigh Hall South Jnct) | Branch | 16 | Freight only line to Newton Longville (remnant of mothballed Varsity Line to Oxford) |
| Hanslope Junction | Loop | 18 | Northampton Loop leaves a few miles north of Wolverton and rejoins just south of Rugby |
| Rugby | Junction | 17 | West Midlands Main Line to Coventry, Birmingham, Wolverhampton and Stafford |
| Nuneaton | Junction | 19 | The Birmingham to Peterborough Line from Peterborough |
| + | Junction | 17 | The Coventry to Nuneaton Line |
| + | Junction | 17 | The Birmingham to Peterborough Line to Birmingham |
| Tamworth | Interchange | 17 | The Cross Country Route from Bristol and Birmingham to Derby and the North East |
| Lichfield Trent Valley | Interchange | 17 | The Cross-City Line Redditch to Lichfield |
| + | Junction | 17 | north of the station |
| Rugeley Trent Valley | Junction | 17 | The Chase Line from Birmingham to Rugeley |
| Colwich Junction | Branch | 18 | to Stoke-on-Trent and Manchester (Route 20 from Cheadle Hulme) |
| Stafford | Junction | 17 | West Midlands Main Line from Coventry, Birmingham and Wolverhampton |
| Norton Bridge | Branch | 18 | to Stone to join line from Colwich Jnct to Manchester (Route 20 from Cheadle Hulme) |
| Stoke-on-Trent | Junction | 19 | from Derby |
| Kidsgrove | Branch | 18 | to Alsager and Crewe |
| Cheadle Hulme | – | 20 | Route 18 London – Manchester Line becomes Route 20 through to Manchester |
| Crewe | Branch | 18 | from Kidsgrove (diesel service from Skegness, Grantham, Nottingham, Derby and Stoke-on-Trent) |
| + | Junction | 14 | The Welsh Marches Line from South Wales, Hereford and Shrewsbury |
| + | Junction | 22 | to Chester and the North Wales Coast Line |
| + | Junction | 20 | to Wilmslow, Manchester Airport, Stockport and Manchester |
| Hartford North | Junction | 20 | (freight only) from Northwich |
| Weaver Junction | Branch | 18 | to Runcorn and Liverpool (Route 20 from Liverpool South Parkway) |
| Liverpool South Parkway | – | 20 | Route 18 London to Liverpool Line becomes Route 20 to Liverpool Lime Street |
| Warrington | Junction | 22 | from Llandudno and Chester to Manchester |
| Winwick Jnct | Junction | 20 | to Liverpool, Earlestown and Manchester |
| Golborne Jnct | Junction | 20 | to Liverpool, Newton-le-Willows and Manchester |
| Ince Moss/Springs Branch Junction | Junction | 20 | The Liverpool to Wigan Line |
| Wigan | Junction | 20 | from Manchester |
| Euxton Jnct | Junction | 20 | The Manchester to Preston Line from Manchester |
| Farington Jnct | Junction | 23 | East Lancashire Line and Caldervale Line |
| Farington Curve Jnct | Junction | 23 | Ormskirk Branch Line, East Lancashire Line and Caldervale Line |
| Preston Dock | Junction | 23 | west |
| Preston | Junction | 20 | to Blackpool North |
| Morecambe South Jnct | Junction | 23 | to Morecambe |
| Hest Bank Jnct | Junction | 23 | from Morecambe |
| Carnforth Jnct | Junction | 23 | Furness Line to Barrow-in-Furness and the Leeds to Morecambe Line to Leeds |
| Oxenholme | Junction | 23 | to Windermere |
| Penrith | Junction | 23 | Route 23 uses two junctions to the north of the station |
| Carlisle | Junction | 23 | Route 23 Settle-Carlisle Railway and Route 9 from Newcastle |
| + | Junction | 23 | The Cumbrian Coast Line from Barrow-in-Furness |
| Gretna Jnct | Junction | 26 | to the Glasgow South Western Line |
| Carstairs South Jnct | Junction | 24 | Route 18 West Coast Main Line becomes Route 24 to Edinburgh |
| Carstairs South | – | 26 | Route 18 West Coast Main Line becomes Route 26 to Glasgow |
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