Manchester–Preston line
The Manchester–Preston line runs from the city of Manchester to Preston, Lancashire, England. It is largely used by commuters entering Manchester from surrounding suburbs and cities, but is also one of the main railway lines in the North West and is utilised by TransPennine Express regional services and to Scotland. It was announced in December 2009 that the line would be electrified, following an announcement in July 2009 that the Chat Moss line between Manchester and Liverpool was to be electrified first. The electrification work for this line commenced in May 2015 and was due for completion in May 2018, but was delayed until December 2018.
| Manchester–Preston line | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Overview | |||
| Status | Operational | ||
| Owner | Network Rail | ||
| Locale | North West England | ||
| Termini | |||
| Stations | 16 | ||
| Service | |||
| System | National Rail | ||
| Operator(s) | |||
| Rolling stock | |||
| Technical | |||
| Track gauge | 1,435 mm (4 ft 8+1⁄2 in) standard gauge | ||
| Electrification | 25 kV AC 50 Hz OHLE | ||
| Operating speed | 100mph | ||
| |||
Manchester–Preston line |
|---|
Electric service commenced on 11 February 2019.
The line is one of the busiest in the North West, with eight trains per hour in each direction during the off-peak daytime timetable. The line speed is currently 100 mph.
There is a large variety of rolling stock on this line, current rolling stock include Classes 150, 156, 158 and 195 DMUs, 331 and 397 EMUs and 769 and 802 BMUs. Former rolling stock on this line include Classes 142, 153, 175, 180 and 185 DMUs and 319 and 350 EMUs.