North Wales Main Line
The North Wales Main Line (Welsh: Prif Linell Gogledd Cymru or Prif Linell y Gogledd; lit. 'North Main Line'), also known as the North Wales Coast Line (Welsh: Llinell Arfordir Gogledd Cymru), is a major railway line in the north of Wales and Cheshire, England, running from Crewe on the West Coast Main Line to Holyhead on the Isle of Anglesey. The line has 19 stations, with all except two, Chester and Crewe, being in Wales.
| North Wales Main Line | |||
|---|---|---|---|
North Wales Coast Line in Colwyn Bay along the Irish Sea | |||
| Overview | |||
| Other name(s) | North Wales Coast Line Holyhead–Crewe line | ||
| Native name | Llinell Arfordir Gogledd Cymru Rheilffordd Arfordir Gogledd Cymru Prif Linell Gogledd Cymru Prif Linell y Gogledd Rheilffordd Cryw a Chaergybi | ||
| Owner | Network Rail | ||
| Locale | Anglesey Gwynedd Conwy County Borough Denbighshire Flintshire Cheshire | ||
| Termini | |||
| Stations | 19 | ||
| Service | |||
| Type | Heavy Rail | ||
| System | National Rail | ||
| Operator(s) | Avanti West Coast Transport for Wales Rail | ||
| Rolling stock | Class 67 Class 150 "Sprinter" Class 153 "Super Sprinter" Class 158 "Express Sprinter" Class 197 "Civity" Class 221 "Super Voyager" | ||
| History | |||
| Opened | 1850 | ||
| Technical | |||
| Line length | 105.5 miles (169.8 km) | ||
| Number of tracks | Double track mostly (except on the Britannia Bridge where there is single track) | ||
| Character | Mainly coastal | ||
| Track gauge | 4 ft 8+1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge | ||
| Operating speed | 90 mph (140 km/h) maximum | ||
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North Wales Main Line |
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The line is not currently electrified, so Avanti West Coast, the current operator of the West Coast Partnership franchise, currently uses Class 221 Super Voyagers, which they have done since December 2007, on routes to Holyhead. Plans to electrify the line were announced in October 2023.
The line contains several notable engineering structures, including Conwy railway bridge across the River Conwy, and Britannia Bridge across the Menai Strait.