Midland Main Line

Midland Main Line
Midland Main Line
	An East Midlands Railway Meridian passing Cossington, in 2024
Overview
Status	Operational
Owner	Network Rail
Locale	Greater London,; East of England,; East Midlands,; Yorkshire and the Humber;
Termini	London St Pancras,; Sheffield and Nottingham;
Stations	37
Service
Type	InterCity, commuter rail, regional rail and heavy rail
System	National Rail
Operator(s)	East Midlands Railway,; CrossCountry,; Govia Thameslink Railway,; TransPennine Express,; Northern Trains,; GB Railfreight,; Freightliner,; DB Cargo,; Direct Rail Services;
Depot(s)	Cricklewood,; Derby Etches Park,; Nottingham Eastcroft,; Bedford Cauldwell Walk depot,; Toton,; Sheffield station depot,; Neville Hill;
Rolling stock	Class 150 Sprinter,; Class 156 Super Sprinter,; Class 158 Express Sprinter,; Class 170 Turbostar,; Class 185 Desiro,; Class 220 Voyager,; Class 221 Super Voyager,; Class 222 Meridian,; Class 360 Desiro,; Class 700 Desiro City,; Class 810 Aurora;
History
Opened	In stages between 1830s and 1860s
Technical
Number of tracks	2–4
Track gauge	4 ft 8+1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge
Loading gauge	W6–W8, planned upgrade to W12
Electrification	25 kV 50 Hz AC OHLE; (London St Pancras to Wigston)
Operating speed	Maximum 125 mph (201 km/h)
Route map
Route map
	; (Click to expand)

Midland Main Line

West Coast Main Line

to Glasgow

to Preston

to Newcastle

Settle–Carlisle line

Leeds

Wakefield line

Hallam line

to Barnsley

to Goole

Wakefield line

Sandal and Walton

Hare Park & Crofton

Royston–Savile Town

to Dewsbury

Dearne Valley Railway

Great Central Railway

to Barnsley

Hull & Barnsley Railway

to Hull

Hull & Barnsley Railway

to Monk Bretton works

Dearne Valley line

to Pontefract Baghill

Cudworth

Wakefield line

to Doncaster

Stairfoot & Cudworth line

to Sheffield

Great Central Railway

to Barnsley

Dearne Valley Railway

to Edlington

Swinton Junction

Wakefield line

Dearne Valley line

Swinton–Doncaster line

to Mexborough

Midland Railway

Great Central Railway

Blackburn Valley line

to Barnsley

Hallam and Penistone

lines to Barnsley

Sheffield & Rotherham

(GCML) to Stocksbridge

Sheffield–Lincoln line

to Retford

Dore & Totley

Hope Valley Line

to Manchester Piccadilly

Killamarsh Central

Killamarsh West

Bradway Tunnel

Eckington and Renishaw

to Bolsover

Chesterfield Loop

Great Central Main Line

LD&ECR
to Lincoln

Erewash Valley line

Stretton

Doe Hill

Ashover Light Railway

Alfreton tunnels

to Worksop

to Matlock

GNR Derbyshire and
Staffordshire Extension

Great Central Main Line

N'ham–Lincoln lines

Crewe–Derby line &
Cross Country Route

1968–

–1967

Erewash Valley line

Attenborough Junction

Castle Donington line

Redhill Tunnels

Syston Junction

Leicester to Burton line

to Burton-on-Trent

Great Central Main Line

to Rugby Central

B'ham–P'boro line

to Birmingham New Street

Mid. Counties Rly

to Rugby

no electrification

25 kV 50 Hz AC overhead

to Stamford

to Rugby

N'hampton–M. Harb. line

to N'hampton Bridge St

Desborough

Glendon and Rushton

Oakham–Kettering line

to Corby

Kettering

Loddington & Cransley

branch to Loddington

Kettering–H'don line
to Huntingdon

Neilsons sidings

N'hampton–P'boro line
to N'hampton Bridge St

N'hampton–P'boro line
to Peterborough East

River Nene

Higham Ferrers branch
to Rushden

Irchester

Sharnbrook Tunnel

(freight only)

Sharnbrook

Oakley

Bedford–N'hampton line

to N'hampton St. John's St

to Bletchley

to Cambridge

proposed

to Hitchin

Dunstable Branch Lines
to Dunstable Town

to Boxmoor

Dunstable Branch Lines
to Welwyn North

Hatfield–St Albans line

to Hatfield

Elstree Tunnel

and sidings

North London Line
to Richmond

Lismore Circus Tunnel

Hampstead Tunnel

Haverstock Hill

Gospel Oak

Gospel Oak–Barking line

to Edinburgh Waverley

Camden Road Tunnel

Copenhagen Tunnel

Copenhagen Junction

North London Line

to Stratford

High Speed 1

to the Channel Tunnel

Belle Isle Junction

2018–

Circle, H&C & Met. lines

Circle, H&C & Met. lines

to Farringdon

Widened Lines to Farringdon

Midland Railway

"New Road" (1870)

Tapton Junction

The Midland Main Line (MML) is a major railway line between London St Pancras and Sheffield, via Leicester, Derby and Chesterfield; a spur of the line terminates at Nottingham.

Express passenger services on the line are operated by East Midlands Railway. The line is electrified between St Pancras and Wigston, south of Leicester, and the section south of Bedford forms a branch of the northern half of the Thameslink network, with a semi-fast service to Brighton and other suburban services. A northern part of the route, between Derby and Chesterfield, also forms part of the Cross Country Route operated by CrossCountry. Tracks from Nottingham to Leeds, via Barnsley and Sheffield, are shared with Northern Trains. East Midlands Railway also operates regional and local services using parts of the line.

The Midland Main Line was undergoing a major upgrade of new digital signalling and full line electrification from London to Sheffield but this was indefinitely paused in 2025. High Speed 2 was planned to branch onto the Midland Main Line at East Midlands Parkway.