Infrastructure of the East Coast Main Line explained

The infrastructure of the East Coast Main Line consists of the tunnels, viaducts and bridges on the East Coast Main Line as well as the line-side monitoring equipment. The line is mainly quadruple track from London to Stoke Tunnel, south of Grantham, with two double track sections: one between Digswell Jn & Woolmer Green Jn, where the line passes over the Digswell Viaduct, Welwyn North station and the two Welwyn tunnels; and one between Fletton Junction (south of Peterborough) and Holme Junction, south of Holme Fen. The route between Holme Junction and Huntingdon is mostly triple track, with the exception of a southbound loop between Conington and Woodwalton. North of Grantham the line is double track except for quadruple-track sections at Retford, around Doncaster, between Colton Junction (south of York), Thirsk and Northallerton, and Newcastle.[1]

With most of the line rated for 125mph operation, the ECML was the fastest main line in the UK until the opening of High Speed 1. The high speeds are possible because much of the line is on fairly straight track on the flatter, eastern side of England, through Lincolnshire and Cambridgeshire, though there are significant speed restrictions because of the line's curvature particularly north of Darlington and between Doncaster and Leeds. By contrast, the West Coast Main Line crosses the Trent Valley and the mountains of Cumbria, with more curvature and a lower speed limit of 110mph. Speeds on the West Coast Main Line (WCML) were increased with the introduction of tilting Pendolino trains and now match the 125 mph speeds on the ECML.

Tunnels, viaducts and bridges

Major civil engineering structures on the East Coast Main Line include[2] [3]

Tunnels, viaducts and major bridges on the East Coast Main Line!Railway structure!Length!Distance from Edinburgh Waverley!ELR!Location
Calton North Tunnel490yd0 miles 27 chains – 0 miles 50 chainsECM8East of Edinburgh Waverley station
Calton South Tunnel400yd0 miles 29 chains – 0 miles 47 chains
St. Margarets Tunnel3chain1 miles 32 chains – 1 mile 35 chains
Dunglas Viaduct6chain36 miles 02 chains – 36 miles 08 chainsBetween Dunbar and Berwick-upon-Tweed stations
(Former Penmanshiel Tunnel)12chain39 miles 52 chains – 39 miles 64 chains
Distance from Newcastle
Royal Border Bridge33 chains66 miles 74 chains – 66 miles 41 chainsECM7South of Berwick-upon-Tweed station
Viaduct3 chains66 miles 33 chains – 66 miles 30 chains
River Aln10 chains35 miles 50 chains – 35 miles 40 chainsNorth of Alnmouth station
River Coquet9 chains30 miles 01 chains – 29 miles 72 chainsNorth of Acklington station
Bothal (River Wansbeck)9 chains17 miles 57 chains –  17 mile 48 chainsBetween Pegswood and Morpeth stations
Plessey (River Blyth)6 chains12 miles 23 chains – 12 miles 17 chainsBetween Morpeth and Cramlington stations
Great Lime Road3 chains5 miles 53 chains – 5 miles 50 chainsBetween Cramlington and Chathill stations
Ouseburn Viaduct14 chains1 miles 18 chains – 1 mile 04 chainsNorth of Manors station
Red Barns Tunnel98 yards (90 metres)0 miles 70 chains – 0 miles 65 chains
Viaduct28 chains0 miles 40 chains – 0 miles 11 chainsEast of Newcastle station
Distance from York
Viaduct14 chains80 miles 04 chains – 79 miles 70 chainsECM5West and South of Newcastle station
King Edward Bridge13 chains79 miles 66 chains – 79 miles 53 chains
Viaduct4 chains79 miles 53 chains – 79 miles  49 chains
Chester-le-Street Viaduct12 chains72 miles 20 chains – 72 miles 19 chainsNorth of Chester-le-Street station
Chester Moor or Dene Viaduct10 chains71 miles 07 chains – 70 miles 77 chainsSouth of Chester-le-Street station
Plawsworth Viaduct6 chains69 miles 60 chains – 69 miles 54 chains
Durham Viaduct12 chains66 miles 06 chains – 65 miles 74 chainsSouth of Durham station
Relly Mill Viaduct6 chains65 miles 23 chains – 65 miles 17 chains
Langley Moor Viaduct (River Dearness)6 chains64 miles 39 chains – 64 miles 33 chains
Croxdale Viaduct (River Wear)9 chains62 miles 18 chains – 62 miles 09 chainsBetween Durham and Darlington stations
Aycliffe Viaduct (River Skerne)49 miles 17 chains
River Skerne Viaduct2 chains47 miles 26 chains – 47 miles 24 chains
River Skerne Viaduct3 chains45 miles 33 chains – 45 miles 30 chains
Croft Viaduct (River Tees)6 chains41 miles 11 chains – 41 miles 05 chainsSouth of Darlington station
Skelton Bridge (River Ouse)4 chains3 miles 16 chains – 3 miles 12 chainsBetween Thirsk and York stations
Distance from King's Cross
Ryther Viaducts (River Wharfe)25 chains180 miles 28 chains – 180 miles 03 chainsECM3Between York and Doncaster stations
Selby Dam Viaduct7 chains175 miles 20 chains – 175 miles 13 chains
Selby Canal Viaduct2 chains172 miles 44 chains – 172 miles 42 chains
River Aire4 chains169 miles 44 chains – miles 40 chains
Aire & Calder Navigation166 miles 66 chainsECM2
Balby Bridge Tunnel95 yards (87 metres)155 miles 38 chains – 155 miles 34 chainsECM1Between Doncaster and Retford stations
Bawtry Viaduct15 chains147 miles 24 chains – 147 miles 09 chains
River Idle Viaduct2 chains138 miles 23 chains – 138 miles 21 chainsBetween Retford and Newark North Gate stations
Askham Tunnel57 yards (52 metres)134 miles 40 chains – 134 miles 37 chains
Viaduct121 miles 40 chains
Muskham Viaduct15 chains121 miles 31 chains – 121 miles 16 chains
Peascliffe Tunnel968 yards (885 metres)108 miles 29 chains – 107miles 65 chainsBetween Newark North Gate and Grantham stations
West Gate Viaduct105 miles 54 chainsNorth of Grantham station
Stoke Tunnel880 yards (805 metres)100 miles 79 chains – 100 miles 39 chainsBetween Grantham and Peterborough stations
Bytham Viaduct4 chains92 miles 63 chains – 92 miles 59 chains
Nene Viaduct3 chains75 miles 68 chains – 75 miles 65 chainsSouth of Peterborough station
Great Ouse Viaduct3 chains58 miles 18 chains – 58 miles 15 chainsSouth of Huntingdon station
Robbery Lane Viaduct23 miles 32 chainsBetween Knebworth and Welwyn North stations
Welwyn North Tunnel1049 yards (959 metres)23 miles 12 chains – 22 miles 44 chains
Welwyn South Tunnel446 yards (408 metres)22 miles 31 chains – 22 miles 11 chains
Welwyn or Digswell Viaduct513 yards (469 metres)21 miles 60 chains – 21 miles 37 chainsBetween Welwyn North and Welwyn Garden City stations
Potters Bar Tunnel[4] 1214 yards (1110 metres)12 miles 00 chains – 11 miles 25 chainsBetween Potters Bar and Hadley Wood stations
Hadley Wood North Tunnel232 yards (212 metres)10 miles 70 chains – 10 miles 60 chainsNorth of Hadley Wood station
Hadley Wood South Tunnel384 yards (351 metres)10 miles 39 chains – 10 miles 21 chainsSouth of Hadley Wood station
Viaduct8 miles 64 chainsSouth of New Barnet station
Barnet Tunnel605 yards (351 metres)7 miles 70 chains – 7 miles 42 chainsBetween Oakleigh Park and New Southgate stations
Wood Green Tunnels705 yards (644 metres)5 miles 73 chains – 5 miles 41 chainsBetween New Southgate and Alexandra Palace stations
Copenhagen Tunnel594 yards (543 metres)1 mile 12 chains – 0 miles  65 chainsNorth of King's Cross station
Gasworks Tunnel528 yards (483 metres)0 miles 46 chains – 0 miles 22 chains

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Route Business Plan . 2008 . Network Rail . 21 February 2008 . 28 February 2008 . https://web.archive.org/web/20080228130916/http://www.networkrail.co.uk/browse%20documents/BusinessPlan2007/PDF/Route%208%20ECML.pdf . live .
  2. Book: Brailsford, Martyn. Railway Track Diagrams Book 1: Scotland & Isle of Man. Trackmaps. 2017. 978-0-9549866-9-8. Frome. 11.
  3. Book: Brailsford, Martyn. Railway Track Diagrams Book 2: Eastern. Trackmaps. 2016. 978-0-9549866-8-1. Frome. 14–23.
  4. Web site: London North Eastern Route Sectional Appendix; LOR LN101 Seq001 to 007. Network Rail. 30 December 2017.