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History
The Trent Valley Line was opened in 1847 to give a more direct route from London to the North West of England, bypassing the existing route via Birmingham, which had been constructed by the Grand Junction Railway and the London and Birmingham Railway a decade earlier. The contractor for the original 50 miles of line was Thomas Brassey working in partnership with Robert Stephenson and William Mackenzie. The engineers were Robert Stephenson, a Mr. Bidder and a Mr. Gooch.[1]
Initially, the Trent Valley Line was owned by an independent company, who started construction of the line in 1845. However whilst the line was still being built, it was absorbed into the newly created London and North Western Railway (LNWR) in August 1846 and became an important part of the West Coast Main Line. The line was opened officially on November 30 1847.
2004 to 2008 improvement works
The West Coast Main Line has four tracks between London and Rugby, a "fast" line and a "slow line" in each direction (the slow lines diverting via the Northampton Loop Line). Similarly, there are four tracks north of Stafford. The two outer tracks are "slow," used mainly by local rail services, while the "fast" tracks are the two innermost tracks, allowing trains to pass stations at high-speed. Although parts of the Trent Valley Line are four tracks, there is an 18 km (11 mile) long section of track between Tamworth and Armitage that has only ever been double track. When plans for the modernisation of the WCML were being developed in the 1990s, it was realised that the existing arrangements could not accommodate the faster Pendolino trains as well as slower local services. It was therefore decided to increase the number of tracks between Lichfield and Armitage to four; later it was decided to extend this from Tamworth as well, giving four tracks from Nuneaton to Colwich Junction, north of Rugeley.
Work started in 2004, and access roads were built on the eastern side of the line. Earthworks for the new track are near completion, with work to rebuild or replace the 37 bridges on that section of line now complete. There was also a level crossing at Hademore that was replaced by two road bridges in early 2007. The four-track railway between Lichfield North and Armitage was brought into use on 29 May 2008. Concurrently, Lichfield Trent Valley signal box was closed and within a month had been demolished.
Additionally, the line between Rugby and Brinklow, which is currently three tracks, is being quadrupled. The line from Brinklow to Nuneaton will remain three tracks, at least for the time being. A 3 km (two-mile) section north-west of Colwich Junction, which goes through the 710 metre long Shugborough Tunnel, will remain double track.
As well as the civil engineering works, the whole of the Trent Valley line will be resignalled. The work is scheduled for completion in September 2008, at an estimated cost of £350 million.
New rolling stock
Along with the modernisation improvements, new rolling stock will operate along the Trent Valley line. Class 350 "Desiro" rail cars started operation on the 11 December 2006. The Desiro trains replace the outdated passenger trains that originally ran on the line. They include more advanced features, such as 160km/h (100mph) running speeds.[2]
Gallery
 The Trent Valley Line looking north from Hademore Crossing on 15 October 2006, showing the track bed for the new lines and works for the new bridge. |
 Map of the Trent Valley Line and other local routes |
Notes
- ^ Helps, Arthur The Life and Works of Mr Brassey, 1872 republished Nonsuch, 2006, p. 107. ISBN 1845880110
- ^ New trains and more rail service BBC News England
References
- The Railway Magazine, August 2006
- Railway Track Diagrams - Midlands & North West, ISBN 0-9549866-0-1
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