Who Were the Railway Queens?
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Avanti Team - Avanti West Coast Blog Author 

By Avanti Web Team

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6 min read | 25 July 2025

 

The West Coast train line has a rich history that stretches back nearly two centuries. It’s one of the UK's most important rail routes, carrying huge numbers of commuters and freight every day.

The West Coast’s railway history

West Coast Train Line: A sepia photograph of an old steam train that’s moving through an empty station.
The West Coast Main Line (WCML) has played a pivotal role in Britain’s rail network for 200 years. Stretching from London to Glasgow, it connects the UK’s major cities while accommodating both passengers and freight services.

The line developed over three key eras, dating back to the mid-19th century.

Early history (1830s – 1920s)

In the early days of UK railways, private companies constructed and operated tracks independently.

However, by the 1830s, investors saw an opportunity following the success of the  Liverpool and Manchester Railway. The line’s profitability inspired others to expand the network.

Investment initially centered on connecting major cities, promising higher passenger and freight volumes. This led to the creation of routes such as the London and Birmingham Railway, which linked the capital to Birmingham via destinations such as Coventry and Rugby.

Once the major routes were established, investors shifted focus towards branch lines and smaller connections. This period known as ‘Railway Mania’ in the 1840s, saw a surge in public investment. By 1846, the government had approved around 9,500 miles of new tracks.

Several companies contributed to what would become the WCML, such as the North Staffordshire Railway, which offered alternative routes to Manchester, and the Caledonian Railway which linked Carlisle to Edinburgh and Glasgow.

Even as early as the 1850s, there were direct trains that could take you from London to Glasgow, however, this journey took 12 and a half hours compared to today’s much shorter four and half hours.

The stock market bubble eventually burst, but it wasn’t long before renewed interest followed. Smaller lines merged to attract investment, forming larger firms such as  London and North Western Railway. Over the next 70 years, the network would expand.

Interestingly, the West Coast train line was not deliberately planned; instead, it  developed over time from a web of tracks, stations, and infrastructure created by private firms. The network would later become one of Britain’s most vital rail routes.

LMS and the Race to the North: (1923 – 1948)

In 1923, Britain’s railways changed dramatically as the government consolidated the network into what became the ‘Big Four.’

One of these four was the London, Midland, and Scottish Railway (LMS) which assumed responsibility for the entire West Coast Main Line.

Many of these companies weren’t in direct competition with each other, except on certain routes where passengers could choose between operators. However, LMS and the London and North Eastern Railway (LNER) competed directly for passengers traveling between London and Scotland. This rivalry was famously known as the “Race to the North.”

To sell more tickets, both companies sought to prove they could get passengers to their destinations faster. LMS promoted its six-and-a-half-hour journey time. It also marketed luxury services like the famous Coronation Scot to attract passengers.

Despite LMS’s efforts, they were always unlikely to win due to geographical challenges on the WCML such as hilly terrains and winding tracks, which slowed travel speeds compared to the East Coast Main Line.

During WWII, the London-to-Scotland service continued to run with an average journey time of seven hours and 15 minutes - which at the time was a real feat.

West Coast Train Line: A red and grey train sits stationary at an empty station during the day.

British Rail era (1948 – 1997)

In 1948, nationalisation created British Railways, with LMS becoming the London Midland and Scottish Regions. This was also when the ‘West Coast Main Line’ name became official.

Between 1959 and 1974, British Rail modernised and electrified the line, starting from Crewe to Manchester opening in 1960. By 1966, you could ride fully electric trains between London, Manchester, and Liverpool, while the Birmingham branch followed in 1967. In 1974, electrification reached Glasgow.

These upgrades allowed faster journeys, which led to the launch of the famous ‘InterCity’ brand. Passenger numbers doubled between 1962 and 1975 demonstrating the success of these improvements.

British Rail also modernised a number of key stations to improve passenger comfort such as Birmingham New Street, Manchester Piccadilly, Stafford, Coventry, and London Euston.

Modernising the West Coast infrastructure

The British Rail era was an age of experimentation. Projects like the Advanced Passenger Train and InterCity 250 faced setbacks due to capacity and reliability issues.

In 1997, Railtrack began a major modernisation project, later completed by Network Rail in 2008. This included:

  • Track renewals and upgrades.
  • New and improved signalling systems.
  • Remodelling of key stations like Coventry, Rugby, and Milton Keynes.
  • Quadrupling tracks in the Trent Valley.
  • Upgrading ‘slow lines’ to ‘fast lines’.

This work allowed operators like Avanti West Coast to introduce tilting trains, like the Class 930 Pendolino for faster journeys.

Electrification was a key priority, with nearly all the WCML now running on 25 kV AC.

Who operates on the West Coast?

West Coast Train Line: The back of a woman’s head as she wears a hi-vis vest while driving a train forward.

Avanti West Coast is the primary operator on the WCML, having taken over from Virgin Trains in December 2019.

Operating from our hub at London Euston, Avanti runs frequent services to major cities across the UK, with nine trains leaving every hour:

  • Three trains per hour to Manchester Piccadilly.
  • Two trains per hour to Birmingham New Street.
  • One train per hour to Chester.
  • One train per hour to Liverpool Lime Street.
  • One train per hour to Glasgow Central via the Trent Valley.

Several other companies also serve the WCML:

  • London Northwestern Railway: Offers commuter and long-distance services, primarily for London Euston connections.
  • TransPennine Express: Links northern England and Scotland using part of the WCML.
  • Southern: Services run between East Croydon and Watford Junction.
  • CrossCountry: Runs cross-country services that intersect with the WCML.
  • ScotRail: Regional services in Scotland that share tracks with the WCML.
  • Caledonian Sleeper: Overnight trains that operate between London and Scotland.

What’s the future of the West Coast rail line?

West Coast Train Line: A train speeds past an empty platform, with trees on one side of the station.

The West Coast Rail Line has a bright future ahead, with developments like the TriLink programme designed to enhance infrastructure and increase capacity.

Projects such as the £190 million Crewe Basford Hall independent lines aim to improve freight capacity, while modernising the signal system will improve efficiency and safety.

Travelling on the West Coast with Avanti

West Coast Train Line: A woman and a young girl sit on a train, as the girl points out the window at a passing field.

The WCML carries around 75 million passenger journeys annually and handles 43% of the UK’s rail freight traffic. It remains a crucial part of Britain’s transport network, and Avanti continues to invest in ensuring a smooth and comfortable experience for all travellers.