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Infrastructure of the East Coast Main Line

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The infrastructure of the East Coast Main Line consists of the tunnels, viaducts and bridges, 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 125 mph (200 km/h) 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 110 mph (180 km/h). 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 Tunnel 490 yards (450 m) 0 miles 27 chains – 0 miles 50 chains ECM8 East of Edinburgh Waverley station
Calton South Tunnel 400 yards (370 m) 0 miles 29 chains – 0 miles 47 chains
St. Margarets Tunnel 3 chains (60 m) 1 miles 32 chains – 1 mile 35 chains
Dunglas Viaduct 6 chains (120 m) 36 miles 02 chains – 36 miles 08 chains Between Dunbar and Berwick-upon-Tweed stations
(Former Penmanshiel Tunnel) 12 chains (240 m) 39 miles 52 chains – 39 miles 64 chains
Distance from Newcastle
Royal Border Bridge 33 chains 66 miles 74 chains – 66 miles 41 chains ECM7 South of Berwick-upon-Tweed station
Viaduct 3 chains 66 miles 33 chains – 66 miles 30 chains
River Aln 10 chains 35 miles 50 chains – 35 miles 40 chains North of Alnmouth station
River Coquet 9 chains 30 miles 01 chains – 29 miles 72 chains North of Acklington station
Bothal (River Wansbeck) 9 chains 17 miles 57 chains –  17 mile 48 chains Between Pegswood and Morpeth stations
Plessey (River Blyth) 6 chains 12 miles 23 chains – 12 miles 17 chains Between Morpeth and Cramlington stations
Great Lime Road 3 chains 5 miles 53 chains – 5 miles 50 chains Between Cramlington and Chathill stations
Ouseburn Viaduct 14 chains 1 miles 18 chains – 1 mile 04 chains North of Manors station
Red Barns Tunnel 98 yards (90 metres) 0 miles 70 chains – 0 miles 65 chains
Viaduct 28 chains 0 miles 40 chains – 0 miles 11 chains East of Newcastle station
Distance from York
Viaduct 14 chains 80 miles 04 chains – 79 miles 70 chains ECM5 West and South of Newcastle station
King Edward Bridge 13 chains 79 miles 66 chains – 79 miles 53 chains
Viaduct 4 chains 79 miles 53 chains – 79 miles  49 chains
Chester-le-Street Viaduct 12 chains 72 miles 20 chains – 72 miles 19 chains North of Chester-le-Street station
Chester Moor or Dene Viaduct 10 chains 71 miles 07 chains – 70 miles 77 chains South of Chester-le-Street station
Plawsworth Viaduct 6 chains 69 miles 60 chains – 69 miles 54 chains
Durham Viaduct 12 chains 66 miles 06 chains – 65 miles 74 chains South of Durham station
Relly Mill Viaduct 6 chains 65 miles 23 chains – 65 miles 17 chains
Langley Moor Viaduct (River Dearness) 6 chains 64 miles 39 chains – 64 miles 33 chains
Croxdale Viaduct (River Wear) 9 chains 62 miles 18 chains – 62 miles 09 chains Between Durham and Darlington stations
Aycliffe Viaduct (River Skerne) 49 miles 17 chains
River Skerne Viaduct 2 chains 47 miles 26 chains – 47 miles 24 chains
River Skerne Viaduct 3 chains 45 miles 33 chains – 45 miles 30 chains
Croft Viaduct (River Tees) 6 chains 41 miles 11 chains – 41 miles 05 chains South of Darlington station
Skelton Bridge (River Ouse) 4 chains 3 miles 16 chains – 3 miles 12 chains Between Thirsk and York stations
Distance from King's Cross
Ryther Viaducts (River Wharfe) 25 chains 180 miles 28 chains – 180 miles 03 chains ECM3 Between York and Doncaster stations
Selby Dam Viaduct 7 chains 175 miles 20 chains – 175 miles 13 chains
Selby Canal Viaduct 2 chains 172 miles 44 chains – 172 miles 42 chains
River Aire 4 chains 169 miles 44 chains – miles 40 chains
Aire & Calder Navigation 166 miles 66 chains ECM2
Balby Bridge Tunnel 95 yards (87 metres) 155 miles 38 chains – 155 miles 34 chains ECM1 Between Doncaster and Retford stations
Bawtry Viaduct 15 chains 147 miles 24 chains – 147 miles 09 chains
River Idle Viaduct 2 chains 138 miles 23 chains – 138 miles 21 chains Between Retford and Newark North Gate stations
Askham Tunnel 57 yards (52 metres) 134 miles 40 chains – 134 miles 37 chains
Viaduct 121 miles 40 chains
Muskham Viaduct 15 chains 121 miles 31 chains – 121 miles 16 chains
Peascliffe Tunnel 968 yards (885 metres) 108 miles 29 chains – 107miles 65 chains Between Newark North Gate and Grantham stations
West Gate Viaduct 105 miles 54 chains North of Grantham station
Stoke Tunnel 880 yards (805 metres) 100 miles 79 chains – 100 miles 39 chains Between Grantham and Peterborough stations
Bytham Viaduct 4 chains 92 miles 63 chains – 92 miles 59 chains
River Nene Viaduct 3 chains 75 miles 68 chains – 75 miles 65 chains South of Peterborough station
Great Ouse Viaduct 3 chains 58 miles 18 chains – 58 miles 15 chains South of Huntingdon station
Robbery Lane Viaduct 23 miles 32 chains Between Knebworth and Welwyn North stations
Welwyn North Tunnel 1049 yards (959 metres) 23 miles 12 chains – 22 miles 44 chains
Welwyn South Tunnel 446 yards (408 metres) 22 miles 31 chains – 22 miles 11 chains
Welwyn or Digswell Viaduct 513 yards (469 metres) 21 miles 60 chains – 21 miles 37 chains Between Welwyn North and Welwyn Garden City stations
Potters Bar Tunnel[4] 1214 yards (1110 metres) 12 miles 00 chains – 11 miles 25 chains Between Potters Bar and Hadley Wood stations
Hadley Wood North Tunnel[4] 232 yards (212 metres) 10 miles 70 chains – 10 miles 60 chains North of Hadley Wood station
Hadley Wood South Tunnel[4] 384 yards (351 metres) 10 miles 39 chains – 10 miles 21 chains South of Hadley Wood station
Viaduct 8 miles 64 chains South of New Barnet station
Barnet Tunnel[4] 605 yards (351 metres) 7 miles 70 chains – 7 miles 42 chains Between Oakleigh Park and New Southgate stations
Wood Green Tunnels 705 yards (644 metres) 5 miles 73 chains – 5 miles 41 chains Between New Southgate and Alexandra Palace stations
Copenhagen Tunnel[4] 594 yards (543 metres) 1 mile 12 chains – 0 miles  65 chains North of King's Cross station
Gasworks Tunnel[4] 528 yards (483 metres) 0 miles 46 chains – 0 miles 22 chains

Line-side monitoring equipment

Line-side train monitoring equipment includes hot axle box detectors (HABD) and wheel impact load detectors (WILD) ‘Wheelchex’, these are located as follows.[2][3][5]

Line-side monitoring equipment on the East Coast Main Line
Name / Type Line Location Engineers Line Reference (ELR)
Stenton HABD Up Berwick 24 miles 20 chains (from Edinburgh) ECM8
Oxwellmains HABD Down Berwick 32 miles 65 chains
Innerwick Wheelchex Up Berwick, Down Berwick 33 miles 62 chains
Lamberton HABD Up Berwick 54 miles 06 chains
Goswick HABD Down Main 60 miles 66 chains (from Newcastle) ECM7
Newham HABD Up Main 47 miles 08 chains
Stamford HABD Up Main (was on Down Main before Sept. 2017) 40 miles 38 chains
Chevington HABD Up Main 25 miles 48 chains
Longhirst HABD Down Main 20 miles 20 chains
Dam Dykes HABD Up Main (Down Main removed Sept. 2017) 8 miles 45 chains
Plawsworth (Chester-le-Street) HABD Down Main 70 miles 20 chains (from York) ECM5
Littleburn (Durham) HABD Up Fast 63 miles 59 chains
Aycliffe HABD Down Main 49 miles 36 chains
Eryholme (East Cowton) HABD Down Main 38 miles 72 chains
Danby Wiske HABD Up Main 33 miles 50 chains
Sessay HABD Down Slow, Down Fast, Up Fast, Up Slow 16 miles 65 chains
Sessay Wheelchex Up Fast, Up Slow 16 miles 65 chains
Earfit Lane HABD Down Leeds, Down Main 184 miles 04 chains (from King's Cross) ECM4
Daw Lane HABD Up Main 159 miles 10 chains ECM1
Bawtry HABD Down Main 148 miles 55 chains
Torworth HABD Up Main 143 miles 17 chains
Gamston (Askam) HABD Down Main 134 miles 37 chains
Cromwell HABD Up Main 124 miles 55 chains
Balderton HABD Down Main 116 miles 70 chains
Barkston HABD Up Main 109 miles 56 chains
Stoke HABD Down Main 99 miles 78 chains
Lolham HABD Up Fast, Up Slow 83 miles 33 chains
Holme HABD Down Main 69 miles 28 chains
Abbots Ripton HABD Up Main 64 miles 25 chains
Offord HABD Down Slow, Down Fast 54 miles 07 chains
Biggleswade HABD Up Fast, Up Slow 42 miles 10 chains
Wymondley HABD Up Fast, Up Slow 30 miles 60 chains
Langley HABD Down Slow, Down Fast 26 miles 62 chains
  1. ^ "Route Business Plan" (PDF). Network Rail. 2008. Archived (PDF) from the original on 28 February 2008. Retrieved 21 February 2008.
  2. ^ a b Brrailsford, Martyn (2017). Railway Track Diagrams Book 1: Scotland & Isle of Man. Frome: Trackmaps. p. 11. ISBN 978-0-9549866-9-8.
  3. ^ a b Brailsford, Martyn (2016). Railway Track Diagrams Book 2: Eastern. Frome: Trackmaps. pp. 14–23. ISBN 978-0-9549866-8-1.
  4. ^ a b c d e f "London North Eastern Route Sectional Appendix; LOR LN101 Seq001 to 007" (PDF). Network Rail. Retrieved 30 December 2017.
  5. ^ "Railway Codes: HABD and WILD equipment".
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