East Coast Main Line

Legend Edinburgh Waverley Musselburgh Wallyford Prestonpans Longniddry Drem North Berwick Line North Berwick Dunbar Scotland / England Berwick-upon-Tweed Chathill Alnmouth Acklington Widdrington Pegswood Morpeth Cramlington Manors Newcastle Central Durham Coast Line Tyne Valley Line Chester-le-Street Durham Tees Valley Line Darlington Tees Valley Line Northallerton-Eaglescliffe Line Northallerton Thirsk York-Scarborough Line York North TransPennine Line Leeds Wakefield Westgate York & Selby Lines Doncaster Retford Newark North Gate Grantham Birmingham to Peterborough Line Peterborough to Lincoln Line Peterborough Ely to Peterborough Line Nene Valley Railway Huntingdon St Neots Sandy Biggleswade Arlesey Hitchin-Cambridge Line Hitchin Stevenage Hertford Loop Line Knebworth Welwyn North Welwyn Garden City Hatfield Welham Green Brookmans Park Potters Bar Hadley Wood New Barnet Oakleigh Park New Southgate Hertford Loop Line Alexandra Palace Hornsey Harringay Finsbury Park Northern City Line London King's Cross

The East Coast Main Line (ECML) is the electrified high-speed railway^[1] link between London and Edinburgh connecting Yorkshire, North East England and Scotland. Edinburgh Waverley railway station, commonly referred to as just " Waverley " locally is the main Railway station in the Scottish capital Musselburgh railway station is a Railway station serving the town of Musselburgh, East Lothian near Edinburgh in Scotland. Wallyford railway station is a Railway station serving the town of Wallyford, East Lothian near Musselburgh in Scotland. Prestonpans railway station is a Railway station serving the town of Prestonpans, East Lothian, Scotland. Longniddry railway station is located at the southeast corner of the village of Longniddry, East Lothian, Scotland. Drem Railway station serves the village of Drem in East Lothian, 8 km (5 miles from the seaside town of North Berwick in Scotland The North Berwick Line is a Railway line linking Edinburgh with North Berwick in Scotland. North Berwick railway station is a Railway station serving the seaside town of North Berwick in East Lothian, Scotland. Dunbar railway station serves the small town of Dunbar in East Lothian, Scotland. Berwick-upon-Tweed railway station serves the town of Berwick-upon-Tweed in Northumberland. Chathill Railway station serves the village of Chathill in Northumberland, England, and the nearby villages of Seahouses Embleton Bamburgh Alnmouth for Alnwick (previously known as Alnmouth railway station) is a station on the East Coast Main Line about one mile from Alnmouth in Hipsburn Acklington Railway station serves the village of Acklington in Northumberland, England. Widdrington Railway station serves the villages of Stobswood and Widdrington Station in Northumberland, England. Pegswood Railway station is a small station on the south east edge of Pegswood village in Northumberland, England. Morpeth railway station is now a minor stop on the East Coast Main Line in Northumberland, northern England, serving the county town of Morpeth Cramlington railway station is a small railway station serving the town of Cramlington in Northumberland, England. Manors railway station is located in the city of Newcastle upon Tyne, England. Newcastle Central railway station is the mainline railway station in the city of Newcastle upon Tyne, England and is a principal stop on the East Coast Route Middlesbrough Thornaby Stockton Billingham Seaton Carew The Newcastle and Carlisle Railway, also known as the Tyne Valley Line, is a Railway line in northern England. Chester-le-Street railway station serves the town of Chester-le-Street in County Durham, England. Durham railway station is the railway station for the city of Durham on the East Coast Main Line. Service All trains along the route are currently operated by Northern Rail, with the exception of First TransPennine Express services starting at Middlesbrough Darlington railway station, formerly known as Darlington Bank Top, is the main Railway station for the town of Darlington, in the Ceremonial county Service All trains along the route are currently operated by Northern Rail, with the exception of First TransPennine Express services starting at Middlesbrough Services Services are run by TransPennine Express between Manchester Airport and Middlesbrough (and to Newcastle using the Durham Northallerton railway station serves the town of Northallerton in North Yorkshire, England. Thirsk railway station serves the town of Thirsk in North Yorkshire, England. Services Services operated along this line are run by TransPennine Express. This article is about a railway station in England For the similarly named subway station in Brooklyn, New York City, see York Street (IND Sixth Avenue North TransPennine is one of the three rail services provided by First TransPennine Express running through Northern England. Leeds railway station (often known by its official name Leeds City) is the mainline railway station serving the city centre of Leeds in West Yorkshire, Wakefield Westgate is the mainline Railway station for the city of Wakefield in West Yorkshire, England. The York & Selby Lines is the name given to a group of services in the West Yorkshire Metro area connecting Leeds with places to its north and east as well as the Doncaster railway station serves the town of Doncaster, in South Yorkshire, England. Retford railway station serves the town of Retford in Nottinghamshire, England. History It was built by the Great Northern Railway and opened as part of their "Towns" direct route from Peterborough to Doncaster Grantham railway station serves the town of Grantham in Lincolnshire, England and lies on the East Coast Main Line 170 km (105⅓ miles The Birmingham to Peterborough Line is a cross-country railway line in the United Kingdom, linking the Midlands to East Anglia Peterborough railway station serves the city of Peterborough, England and lies on the East Coast Main Line (ECML The Nene Valley Railway (NVR is a preserved railway in Cambridgeshire, England, running between Peterborough Nene Valley and Yarwell Huntingdon railway station serves the town of Huntingdon in Cambridgeshire. St Neots railway station serves the town of St Neots in Cambridgeshire, England. Sandy railway station serves the town of Sandy in Bedfordshire, England. Biggleswade railway station serves the town of Biggleswade in Bedfordshire, England. Arlesey railway station serves the town of Arlesey in Bedfordshire, England. The Hitchin-Cambridge Line links Hitchin in Hertfordshire with Cambridge and forms part of the route between London King's Cross and East Hitchin railway station serves the town of Hitchin in Hertfordshire. Stevenage railway station serves the town of Stevenage in Hertfordshire, England and lies on the East Coast Main Line 43 km (27¼ miles north The Hertford Loop Line is a branch of the East Coast Main Line. Knebworth railway station serves the village of Knebworth in Hertfordshire, England on the East Coast Main Line 40 km (25 miles north of Welwyn North railway station serves the villages of Digswell and Welwyn in Hertfordshire, England. Welwyn Garden City railway station serves the town of Welwyn Garden City in Hertfordshire. Hatfield railway station serves the town of Hatfield in Hertfordshire. Welham Green railway station serves the village of Welham Green in Hertfordshire, England. Brookmans Park railway station serves the village of Brookmans Park in Hertfordshire, England. Potters Bar railway station serves the town of Potters Bar in Hertfordshire, England. Hadley Wood railway station is in the London Borough of Enfield in north London, and is in Travelcard Zone 6. New Barnet railway station is in the London Borough of Barnet in north London, and is in Travelcard Zone 5. Oakleigh Park railway station is in Oakleigh Park in the London Borough of Barnet in north London, and is in Travelcard Zone 4. New Southgate railway station is on the boundary of the London Borough of Barnet and the London Borough of Enfield in north London, and is in Travelcard The Hertford Loop Line is a branch of the East Coast Main Line. Alexandra Palace railway station is in the London Borough of Haringey in north London, and is in Travelcard Zone 3. Hornsey railway station is in the London Borough of Haringey in north London, and is in Travelcard Zone 3. Harringay railway station is a Railway station in Harringay, North London. Finsbury Park Station is a busy transport interchange in North London. Connections The majority of the stations on the line provide connections with one or more Underground or Network Rail lines Finsbury Park King's Cross station is a major railway terminus opened in 1852 London ( ˈlʌndən is the capital and largest urban area in the United Kingdom. Edinburgh ( ˈɛdɪnb(ərə Dùn Èideann) is the Capital of Scotland and is its second largest city after Glasgow. Yorkshire is a historic county of Northern England and the largest in Great Britain. North-East England is one of the nine official Regions of England and comprises the combined area of Northumberland, County Durham, Tyne and Wear Scotland ( Gaelic: Alba) is a Country in northwest Europethat occupies the northern third of the island of Great Britain.

The route forms a key artery on the eastern side of Great Britain and is broadly paralleled by the A1 trunk road. See also Kingdom of Great Britain Great Britain (Breatainn Mhòr Prydain Fawr Breten Veur Graet Breetain is the larger of the two main islands It links London, the South East and East Anglia with Yorkshire, the North East Regions and Scotland. East Anglia is often used as a shorthand for the Kingdom of the East Angles. Scotland ( Gaelic: Alba) is a Country in northwest Europethat occupies the northern third of the island of Great Britain. It also carries key commuter flows for the north side of London. It is therefore important to the economic health of a number of areas of the country. It also handles cross-country, commuter and local passenger services, and carries heavy tonnages of freight traffic.

Contents 1 Route definition and description 2 History 2.1 Electrification 2.2 Capacity Problems 2.3 Proposed Improvements 3 Accidents 4 Operators 5 References

Route definition and description

The Network Rail definition of the ECML includes five separate lines:

• The main line between London King's Cross and Edinburgh Waverley stations, via Stevenage, Peterborough, Grantham, Newark, Retford, Doncaster, York, Darlington, Durham, Newcastle upon Tyne, Berwick-upon-Tweed and Dunbar;
• The line from Doncaster to Leeds, via Wakefield Westgate;
• The North Berwick branch from Drem to North Berwick
• The Northern City Line from Finsbury Park to Moorgate
• The Hertford Loop from Alexandra Palace to Stevenage

In addition to the formal Network Rail definition, the ECML is sometimes regarded as extending beyond Edinburgh Waverley to Aberdeen, running mostly right on the east coast via Kirkcaldy, Dundee and Arbroath. Network Rail is a British "not for dividend" Company limited by guarantee whose principal asset is Network Rail Infrastructure Limited a company limited King's Cross station is a major railway terminus opened in 1852 Edinburgh Waverley railway station, commonly referred to as just " Waverley " locally is the main Railway station in the Scottish capital Stevenage railway station serves the town of Stevenage in Hertfordshire, England and lies on the East Coast Main Line 43 km (27¼ miles north Peterborough railway station serves the city of Peterborough, England and lies on the East Coast Main Line (ECML Grantham railway station serves the town of Grantham in Lincolnshire, England and lies on the East Coast Main Line 170 km (105⅓ miles History It was built by the Great Northern Railway and opened as part of their "Towns" direct route from Peterborough to Doncaster Retford railway station serves the town of Retford in Nottinghamshire, England. Doncaster railway station serves the town of Doncaster, in South Yorkshire, England. This article is about a railway station in England For the similarly named subway station in Brooklyn, New York City, see York Street (IND Sixth Avenue Darlington railway station, formerly known as Darlington Bank Top, is the main Railway station for the town of Darlington, in the Ceremonial county Durham railway station is the railway station for the city of Durham on the East Coast Main Line. Newcastle Central railway station is the mainline railway station in the city of Newcastle upon Tyne, England and is a principal stop on the East Coast Berwick-upon-Tweed railway station serves the town of Berwick-upon-Tweed in Northumberland. Dunbar railway station serves the small town of Dunbar in East Lothian, Scotland. Leeds railway station (often known by its official name Leeds City) is the mainline railway station serving the city centre of Leeds in West Yorkshire, Wakefield Westgate is the mainline Railway station for the city of Wakefield in West Yorkshire, England. The North Berwick Line is a Railway line linking Edinburgh with North Berwick in Scotland. Drem Railway station serves the village of Drem in East Lothian, 8 km (5 miles from the seaside town of North Berwick in Scotland North Berwick railway station is a Railway station serving the seaside town of North Berwick in East Lothian, Scotland. Connections The majority of the stations on the line provide connections with one or more Underground or Network Rail lines Finsbury Park Finsbury Park Station is a busy transport interchange in North London. Moorgate station is a London Underground and National Rail station in the City of London, on Moorgate, north of London Wall. The Hertford Loop Line is a branch of the East Coast Main Line. Alexandra Palace railway station is in the London Borough of Haringey in north London, and is in Travelcard Zone 3. Aberdeen railway station is a railway station in Aberdeen, Scotland, UK. Kirkcaldy Railway Station is a railway station in the town of Kirkcaldy, Fife, Scotland. Dundee Railway station serves the city of Dundee on the east coast of Scotland. Arbroath railway station serves the town of Arbroath in Angus, Scotland. North of Edinburgh it includes the world-famous red cantilever Forth Bridge, and at Dundee the curved Tay Bridge, both crossing wide river estuaries. A cantilever is a beam supported on only one end The beam carries the load to the support where it is resisted by moment and Shear stress. For the nearby road bridge see Forth Road Bridge. The Forth Bridge is a cantilever Railway Bridge over the The Tay Bridge (sometimes unofficially the Tay Rail Bridge) is a Railway Bridge approximately two and a quarter miles (three and a half kilometres

The Edinburgh Waverley to Glasgow Central via Carstairs and Motherwell line is officially part of the West Coast Main Line (WCML) route, but is often considered part of the ECML because many National Express East Coast services from between King's Cross and Edinburgh Waverley use this route beyond Edinburgh. Glasgow Central is the larger of the two present main-line Railway terminals in Glasgow, Scotland, and is managed by Network Rail. Carstairs Railway station in South Lanarkshire, Scotland, is a major junction station on the West Coast Main Line (WCML situated close to the Motherwell railway station serves Motherwell in North Lanarkshire, Scotland. The West Coast Main Line (WCML is a busy mixed-traffic railway route in the United Kingdom. National Express East Coast is the name under which the Train operating company NXEC Trains Ltd operates the InterCity East Coast rail franchise which

The ECML is one of the fastest railway lines in the UK, most of the line being rated for 125 mph (200 km/h) operation. The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located Current UK legislation requires in-cab signalling for speeds of over 125 mph and prevents the InterCity 225 train-sets from operating at the Class 91 design speed of 140 mph (225 km/h) in normal service. Cab signalling is a Railroad safety system that communicates track status information to the train cab (driving position where the engineer or driver can see the information The InterCity 225 is the fastest locomotive-hauled domestic train in the United Kingdom, comprising a Class 91 Electric locomotive, and nine The British Rail Class 91 is a class of 140 mph 6300  hp Electric locomotives ordered specifically for the East Coast Main Line modernisation Before the present in-cab regulations came in, British Rail experimented with 140 mph running by introducing a fifth, flashing green signalling aspect on track between New England North and Stoke Tunnel. See also Rail transport in Great Britain, National Rail, Network Rail This article is about the defunct entity "British Railways" Modern British signalling is based on a two three and four aspect colour light system using non-permissive '''block''' rules Still observable in normal service, this fifth aspect appears when the next signal is showing a green or flashing green aspect and the signal section is clear. This ensures that there is sufficient braking distance to bring a train to a stand from 140 mph. Braking distance refers to the distance a vehicle will travel from the point where its Brakes are fully applied to when it comes to a complete stop ^[2] Locomotives have operated on the ECML at speeds of 160 mph (260 km/h) in test runs. ^[3]

The relatively high speeds are possible because the ECML travels on straight track covering the flatter, eastern areas of England, through Lincolnshire and Cambridgeshire. Lincolnshire (abbreviated Lincs) is a county in the east of England. History Cambridgeshire is noted as the site of some of the earliest known Neolithic permanent settlement in the United Kingdom, along with sites at Fengate In contrast, the West Coast Main Line (WCML) has to traverse the Trent Valley and the mountains of Cumbria, leading to many more curves and a lower general speed limit of 110 mph (180 km/h). The Trent Valley Line is a Railway line between Rugby and Stafford in England, forming part of the West Coast Main Line. Boundaries and divisions Cumbria is neighboured by Northumberland, County Durham, North Yorkshire, Lancashire, and the Lieutenancy Speeds on the WCML have been increased in recent years with the introduction of tilting Pendolino trains and upgrades to match the 125 mph speeds available on the ECML. The British Class 390 "Pendolino" Electric multiple unit is a Tilting train built by Fiat Ferroviaria utilising Fiat

History

The line was built by three railway companies, each serving their own area but with the intention of linking up to form the through route that became the East Coast Main Line. From north to south they were

• the North British Railway, from Edinburgh to Berwick-on-Tweed, completed in 1846,
• the North Eastern Railway from Berwick-on-Tweed to Shaftholme; the North Eastern Railway was substantially complete in 1871 when the company combined parts of several local railways and built a section to form a direct through route, and
• the Great Northern Railway from Shaftholme to Kings Cross, completed in 1850. The North British Railway was a Scottish railway company that was absorbed into the London and North Eastern Railway at the Grouping in 1923 The North Eastern Railway (NER unlike many other of the pre-Grouping companies had a relatively compact territory having the district it covered to itself Shaftholme is a small hamlet in South Yorkshire, England that is located half a mile north of Bentley and two miles north of Doncaster. The Great Northern Railway (GNR was a British railway company established by the London & York Railway Act of 1846

The boundary between the NER and the GNR was an end-on junction, famously described as in "a ploughed field" at Shaftholme, some way north of Doncaster.

Realising that through journeys were an important part of their business, the companies established special rolling stock in 1860 on a collaborative basis; it was called the "East Coast Joint Stock".

In 1923 the three companies were grouped into the London and North Eastern Railway (LNER). The

Numerous alterations to short sections of the original route have taken place, the most notable being the opening of the King Edward VII Bridge in Newcastle upon Tyne in 1906 and the Selby diversion, built to by-pass anticipated mining subsidence from the Selby coalfield. The King Edward VII Bridge is a railway bridge spanning the River Tyne between Newcastle upon Tyne and Gateshead, in North East England. The Selby diversion was opened in 1983 and diverged from the original ECML at Temple Hirst, north of Doncaster, and joined the Leeds to York line at Colton Junction.

The ECML has been the backdrop for a number of famous rail journeys and locomotives. The line was worked for many years by the famous steam locomotives "Flying Scotsman" and "Mallard". The LNER Class A3 Pacific locomotive no 4472 "Flying Scotsman" (originally no Number 4468 Mallard is a London and North Eastern Railway Class A4 4-6-2 Pacific Steam locomotive built at Doncaster, Mallard achieved a world record speed for a steam locomotive, at 126 mph, and this record was never beaten. It made the run on the Grantham - Peterborough section, on the descent from Stoke Summit.

Steam locomotives were replaced by diesel traction by the mid 1960s, and for a time the D200 series of diesel electric locomotives handled all the express traffic. However their limited power failed to deliver the journey time possibilities that were commercially essential, and the English Electric company built a prototype high power locomotive, the Deltic. } DP1, or Prototype Deltic is a demonstrator locomotive built by English Electric in 1955 The prototype was successful and a fleet of the locomotives was built, to handle all the important express traffic. They were powered by engines originally developed for fast torpedo boat purposes, and the configuration of the engines led to the Deltic name. Their characteristic throaty exhaust roar and chubby body outline made them unmistakable in service. The class remains the most powerful diesel locomotive in service in Britain, at 3,300 hp (2,500 kW). The watt (symbol W) is the SI derived unit of power, equal to one Joule of energy per Second.

It was just after the Deltics were introduced that the first sections of the East Coast Main Line were upgraded to officially allow 100 miles per hour (160 km/h) running. The first length to be cleared for the new higher speed was a 17 miles (27 km) stretch between Peterborough and Grantham on the 15 June 1965, the second was 12 miles (19 km) between Grantham and Newark^[4]. Events 763 BC - Assyrians record a Solar eclipse that will be used to fix the Chronology of Mesopotamian history Year 1965 ( MCMLXV) was a Common year starting on Friday (link will display full calendar of the 1965 Gregorian calendar.

As the demand for higher speed intensified, they were eventually superseded by the High Speed Train (HST), introduced between 1976 and 1981. The InterCity 125 is the brand name under which British Rail operated services with their fleet of High Speed Trains within Great Britain.

The cuttings and tunnel entrances just north of King's Cross make a memorable smoky appearance in the 1955 Ealing comedy film The Ladykillers. For the film see Ealing Comedy (film. For the film comedies see Ealing Comedies. This article is about the 1955 film For the remake see The Ladykillers (2004 film. Also during the 1950s, the line featured in the 1954 documentary short Elizabethan Express. Elizabethan Express is a 1954 British Transport Film that follows The Elizabethan, a non-stop British Railways service from London Later, the 1971 British gangster film Get Carter features a journey from London Kings Cross to Newcastle Central Station in the opening credits. Get Carter is a 1971 crime Film directed by Mike Hodges and starring Michael Caine as Jack Carter a mobster who sets out to King's Cross station is a major railway terminus opened in 1852 Newcastle Central railway station is the mainline railway station in the city of Newcastle upon Tyne, England and is a principal stop on the East Coast Opening credits, in a television program motion picture or videogame are shown at the beginning and list the most important members of the production

Electrification

In what was seen by many as a surprising action for a Conservative government, the ECML was electrified in the late 1980s using state money. The Conservative Party (officially the Conservative and Unionist Party) is a Political party in the United Kingdom. Railway electrification in Great Britain describes the past and present electrification systems used to supply traction current to railways and tramways in Great Britain The electrification work began in 1985 and the initial section between King's Cross and Leeds went into operational trials in 1988. The full electrification was completed in late 1990, and the current InterCity 225 rolling stock was introduced.

Diesels still operate on the ECML, however:

• CrossCountry's Voyager (operating CrossCountry routes)
• Hull Trains's Pioneers & Adelantes (Kings Cross - Hull)
• HST sets working services north of Edinburgh towards Inverness and Aberdeen, and services operated by Grand Central as far as Northallerton. The Voyager series is a group of high speed Diesel electric multiple unit trains built by Bombardier Transportation in service on the UK railway network The Voyager series is a group of high speed Diesel electric multiple unit trains built by Bombardier Transportation in service on the UK railway network The Class 180 "Adelante" is a type of British Diesel multiple unit built by Alstom between 2000 and 2001 at Washwood Heath in Birmingham The InterCity 125 is the brand name under which British Rail operated services with their fleet of High Speed Trains within Great Britain. East Midlands Trains also operate a limited service of HST's over a portion of the route between Doncaster and Leeds. East Midlands Trains ( EMT) is a train operating company operating in the United Kingdom.
• National Express use a HST for their Kings Cross - Skipton service. The InterCity 125 is the brand name under which British Rail operated services with their fleet of High Speed Trains within Great Britain.
• Grand Central's HST's (Kings Cross - Sunderland)

Capacity Problems

The ECML is one of the busiest lines on the British rail network and there is currently insufficient capacity on parts of the line to satisfy all the requirements of both passenger and freight operators. Background Grand Central operate three return trips per day between the north-east of England and the capital city London along the East Coast Main Line The InterCity 125 is the brand name under which British Rail operated services with their fleet of High Speed Trains within Great Britain. Although it has four tracks south of Stoke, 23 miles from Kings Cross, a major bottleneck remains in the twin-track section at Welwyn North, crossing Digswell Viaduct (sometimes referred to as Welwyn Viaduct) and passing through the two Welwyn tunnels, north of London. Metaphorically a bottleneck is a section of a route with a carrying capacity substantially below that characterising other sections of the same route There is also a long double track section at Stilton Fen, between Huntingdon and Peterborough. A further operating constraint is the flat junction at Hitchin, where numerous down outer suburban trains have to cross three other tracks on the level; at this point long-distance trains should be running at full speed, so that to avoid a signal check, the route needs to be set for a considerable distance ahead of them.

There is also a flat crossing with the Nottingham-Lincoln line just north of Newark station. Nottingham ( is a city in the Ceremonial county of Nottinghamshire, England. Lincoln (ˈlɪŋkən is a Cathedral city and County town of Lincolnshire, England. History It was built by the Great Northern Railway and opened as part of their "Towns" direct route from Peterborough to Doncaster Doncaster station also presents difficulties due to the limited facilities for terminating branch trains on the up side of the station.

There is often congestion south of Newcastle, which has led to proposals to reopen the Leamside line to passenger and freight traffic. History The line opened in 1839 and was formed from the original lines of the Newcastle and Darlington Junction Railway and the Durham Junction Railway

However, in 2006, the Allington Chord was constructed near Grantham, which allowed services between Nottingham and Skegness to pass under the line, rather than crossing it at a flat junction. Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. Grantham is a Market town within the South Kesteven district of Lincolnshire, England. Nottingham ( is a city in the Ceremonial county of Nottinghamshire, England. Skegness is a seaside town and Civil parish within the East Lindsey district of Lincolnshire, England. This provided sufficient extra capacity for GNER to run 12 additional services between Leeds and London each day^[5][6].

When the line was electrified, there was extreme pressure from the Department for Transport (as proxy for the taxpayer) to reduce avoidable costs, and the overhead line equipment (the traction supply to the trains, usually referred to as "the OLE") was constructed with an unusually wide spacing of support masts leaving the OLE vulnerable to disruption in the event of high winds. Overhead lines or overhead wires are used to transmit Electrical energy to Trams Trolleybuses or Trains at a distance from the Overhead lines or overhead wires are used to transmit Electrical energy to Trams Trolleybuses or Trains at a distance from the Overhead lines or overhead wires are used to transmit Electrical energy to Trams Trolleybuses or Trains at a distance from the There have been several dewirements over the years from this cause. More can be found on this subject in Christian Wolmar's book On The Wrong Line^[7].

Proposed Improvements

Over the years successive infrastructure managers have developed schemes for route improvements ^[8] these include

• Quadrupling the Welwyn North section, involving probable double-decking of the viaduct and duplication of the two tunnels ^[9]

• Full reversible signalling over the Stilton Fen section
• Power supply upgrades along the route, including some OLE support improvements
• Power supply enhancement on the diversionary Hertford Loop route
• Provision of an extra platform at Kings Cross (the so-called "platform Y")
• Provision of a grade-separated junction at Hitchin North enabling down Cambridge trains to cross the main line
• Provision of a new Up Bay platform at Doncaster
• Enhanced passenger access to the platforms at Peterborough and Stevenage
• Introduction of 140mph line speeds
• Abolition of the Newark Flat Crossing
• Major remodelling of Peterborough Station
• Reopening of freight diversionary routes

The funding policy of the DfT at present means that it is difficult to be optimistic that many of these proposals will be carried forward. Overhead lines or overhead wires are used to transmit Electrical energy to Trams Trolleybuses or Trains at a distance from the

Accidents

The ECML has been witness to a number of incidents resulting in death and serious injury:

• Abbots Ripton, 21 January 1876 - 14 people died when the Flying Scotsman crashed during a blizzard. Events 1189 - Philip II of France and Richard I of England begin to assemble troops to wage the Third Crusade. Year 1876 ( MDCCCLXXVI) was a Leap year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian Calendar (or a Leap year This article is about the railway passenger service known as the "Flying Scotsman"
• Grantham, 19 August 1906 - 14 people died, unidentified cause. Grantham is a Market town within the South Kesteven district of Lincolnshire, England. Events 43 BC - Octavian, later known as Augustus compels the Roman Senate to elect him Consul. Year 1906 ( MCMVI) was a Common year starting on Monday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common year starting
• Welwyn Garden City, 15 June 1935 - 13 people died and 81 injured when 2 trains collided due to a signaller's error
• Connington South, 5 March 1967 - 5 people died and 18 were injured when an express train was derailed. Welwyn Garden City is a Town in Hertfordshire, England. Welwyn Garden City is also referred to in Council parlance as WGC or less correctly Events 763 BC - Assyrians record a Solar eclipse that will be used to fix the Chronology of Mesopotamian history Year 1935 ( MCMXXXV) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. The Connington South rail crash occurred on 5 March 1967 on the East Coast Main Line near the village of Conington Huntingdonshire, England Events 363 - Roman Emperor Julian moves from Antioch with an army of 90000 to attack the Sassanid Empire, in a Year 1967 ( MCMLXVII) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link will display full calendar of the 1967 Gregorian calendar.
• 4 serious crashes at Morpeth on 7 May 1969, 24 June 1984, 13 November 1992 and 27 June 1994
• Penmanshiel Tunnel collapse on 17 March 1979
• Newcastle Central Station, 30 November 1989 - 15 people were injured when two InterCity expresses collided
• Hatfield rail crash, 17 October 2000 - 4 people killed, 15 injured when an InterCity 225 derailed. The town of Morpeth in Northumberland, England has what is reputed to be the most severe curve on any railway main line in Britain. Events 558 - In Constantinople, the dome of the Hagia Sophia collapses Year 1969 ( MCMLXIX) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Events 972 - Battle of Cedynia, the first documented victory of Polish forces takes place Year 1984 ( MCMLXXXIV) was a Leap year starting on Sunday (link displays the 1984 Gregorian calendar) Events 1002 - English king Ethelred orders the killing of all Danes in England, known today as the St Year 1992 ( MCMXCII) was a Leap year starting on Wednesday (link will display full 1992 Gregorian calendar) Events 1358 - Republic of Dubrovnik is founded 1709 - Peter the Great defeats Charles XII of Sweden Year 1994 ( MCMXCIV) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link will display full 1994 Gregorian calendar) Penmanshiel Tunnel is a now-disused railway Tunnel near Grantshouse, Berwickshire, in the Scottish Borders region of Scotland Events 45 BC - In his last victory Julius Caesar defeats the Pompeian forces of Titus Labienus and Pompey the Younger Year 1979 ( MCMLXXIX) was a Common year starting on Monday (link displays the 1979 Gregorian calendar) Newcastle Central railway station is the mainline railway station in the city of Newcastle upon Tyne, England and is a principal stop on the East Coast Events 1700 - Battle of Narva — A Swedish army of 8500 men under Charles XII defeats Year 1989 ( MCMLXXXIX) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link displays 1989 Gregorian calendar) The Hatfield rail crash was a Railway accident on 17 October 2000, at Hatfield Hertfordshire, UK. Events 539 BC - King Cyrus The Great of Persia marches into the city of Babylon, releasing the Jews from almost 2000 ( MM) was a Leap year that started on Saturday of the Common Era, in accordance with the Gregorian calendar. The accident's aftermath had grave consequences for the privatised infrastructure company, Railtrack.
• Selby rail crash, 28 February 2001 - 10 people killed, 82 injured when a Landrover swerved down an embankment off the M62 into the path of a southbound GNER Intercity 225. The Selby rail crash was a high-speed Train accident that occurred at Great Heck near Selby, Yorkshire, England on the morning of 28 February Events 202 BC - coronation ceremony of Liu Bang as Emperor Gaozu of Han takes place initiating four centuries of the Han Dynasty 's rule Year 2001 ( MMI) was a Common year starting on Monday according to the Gregorian calendar.
• Potters Bar rail crash, 10 May 2002 - 7 people killed, 81 injured caused by loose points on the line. There have been at least two railway accidents in Potters Bar, a town in Hertfordshire, United Kingdom, just north of Greater London. Events 1291 - Scottish Nobles recognize the authority of Edward I of England. See also 2002 (disambiguation Year 2002 ( MMII) was a Common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar.
• Copmanthorpe rail crash, 25 September 2006

Operators

The line's current principal operator is National Express East Coast (NXEC), whose services include regular trains from King's Cross to Leeds and Edinburgh. The Copmanthorpe rail crash was on 25 September 2006, at Moor Lane Copmanthorpe, North Yorkshire, England, on the East Coast Events 303 - On a voyage preaching the Gospel, Saint Fermin of Pamplona is beheaded in Amiens, France Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. National Express East Coast is the name under which the Train operating company NXEC Trains Ltd operates the InterCity East Coast rail franchise which National Express East Coast is the name under which the Train operating company NXEC Trains Ltd operates the InterCity East Coast rail franchise which ^[10] Other operators of passenger trains on the line are:

• First Capital Connect: commuter services between King's Cross, Peterborough, Cambridge and King's Lynn and between Moorgate and Stevenage via either Welwyn Garden City or the Hertford Loop. First Capital Connect (FCC is a passenger train operating company in England that began operations on the National Rail network on 1 April 2006 The Hertford Loop Line is a branch of the East Coast Main Line.
• Hull Trains: between Kings Cross and Doncaster, continuing to Hull. Performance The latest performance figures for First Hull Trains to be released by the ORR as of the fourth quarter of the financial year 2007/8 are 88 Hull Paragon Interchange is a major transportation complex in the city of Kingston upon Hull (usually known as Hull England.
• East Midlands Trains
  • East Midlands Connect: between Grantham and Peterborough, part of the service that runs between Liverpool Lime Street and Norwich. East Midlands Trains ( EMT) is a train operating company operating in the United Kingdom. Liverpool Lime Street railway station on Lime Street is a mainline and underground Railway station serving the city centre of Liverpool, England Norwich railway station is a Railway station serving the city of Norwich in the English county of Norfolk.
  • East Midlands Mainline: between Doncaster and Leeds, extensions of services running to/from Sheffield, Leicester and London St Pancras. Leicester railway station serves the City of Leicester in Leicestershire, England. St Pancras railway station is a major railway station situated in the St Pancras area of Central London between the British Library and King's Cross Occasional services run between Doncaster and York and Scarborough.
• CrossCountry: cross-country services north of Sheffield are routed via either Leeds or Doncaster. CrossCountry is a Train operating company, the brand name of XC Trains Limited owned by Arriva, that has operated Great Britain ’s Cross Country rail franchise Sheffield Station, formerly Pond Street and later Sheffield Midland, is a Railway station and tram stop in central Sheffield, in Yorkshire Leeds trains use the ECML between Wakefield Westgate and Leeds and then again north of York. Doncaster trains use the ECML north of Doncaster. Services run to and beyond Edinburgh. Occasional services run from Doncaster to Leeds before rejoining the ECML at York.
• First TransPennine Express: between York and Newcastle and between York and Northallerton before they divert off the ECML to Middlesbrough via Yarm. First TransPennine Express is a train operating company in the United Kingdom. Northallerton railway station serves the town of Northallerton in North Yorkshire, England. Middlesbrough railway station serves the large town of Middlesbrough in the borough of Middlesbrough and the Ceremonial county of North Yorkshire, Yarm railway station serves the town of Yarm in the borough of Stockton-on-Tees and ceremonial county of North Yorkshire, England.
• Northern Rail: suburban services from Doncaster to Leeds and Chathill to Newcastle via Morpeth railway station and infrequent services between Newcastle and Darlington that continue to Middlesbrough and Saltburn. Northern Rail (often referred to simply as Northern) is a Train operating company that has operated local passenger services in the north of England Chathill Railway station serves the village of Chathill in Northumberland, England, and the nearby villages of Seahouses Embleton Bamburgh Morpeth railway station is now a minor stop on the East Coast Main Line in Northumberland, northern England, serving the county town of Morpeth Saltburn Railway Station serves the town of Saltburn-by-the-Sea in the borough of Redcar and Cleveland and the Ceremonial county of North Yorkshire
• First ScotRail: services between Edinburgh and North Berwick. First ScotRail is the Brand under which FirstGroup runs its Railway franchise to operate all domestic Passenger services within
• Grand Central: intercity from Kings Cross to Sunderland, branching off the main line at Northallerton

Eurostar previously held the rights to run five trains a day on the line for services from continental Europe to cities north of London, as part of the Regional Eurostar plan, although such services have never been run. Background Grand Central operate three return trips per day between the north-east of England and the capital city London along the East Coast Main Line Sunderland (, or /ˈsʌn(dlən/ is a City in Tyne and Wear, England. Eurostar is a High-speed train service in Western Europe connecting London and Kent in the United Kingdom, with Paris Regional Eurostar was the name given to plans to operate Eurostar train services from Paris and Brussels to locations in the United Kingdom beyond ^[11]

English Welsh & Scottish Railway Ltd (EWS), FirstGBRf, Freightliner Ltd, Freightliner Heavy Haul Ltd and Direct Rail Services Ltd (DRS) operate freight services. English Welsh and Scottish Railway Ltd ( EWS) is the largest British rail freight company FirstGBRf is a British freight Train operating company. Formerly called GB Railfreight, it became part of FirstGroup when Freightliner Group Limited are a rail Freight and logistics company founded in 1995 and now operating in the United Kingdom and Poland. Stobart Pullman hauled by DRS 47712 photo 1jpg|thumb|right|A Stobart Pullman liveried rake of coaches headed by a DRS liveried Class 47 locomotive number 47712 Pride of

References

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