Hanslope Junction and platform improvements at Wolverton Milton Keynes Central

[WolvertonWorks]

The BBC have a news items this morning

Passengers warned of Christmas train disruption​

Train passengers are being warned of significant disruption to their journeys over Christmas and into the new year. Network Rail is carrying out a £26m upgrade to the railway junction across all four main lines at Hanslope in Northamptonshire. Between 24 December and 5 January there will be no trains on the West Coast Main Line between Milton Keynes and Northampton or Rugby, with rail replacement buses in operation. The company said it was part of an investment of £196m by Network Rail to make journeys more reliable for passengers and freight.

The article goes on to say that "Platform improvement work at both Milton Keynes and Wolverton stations was expected to take place at the same time, when no trains would be running from there."

I have two questions - what platform improvements are being made and where exactly is Hanslope Junction located as Hanslope the village isn't in Northamptonshire, (my bold above)- it is in the city borough of Milton Keynes which was the old county of Buckinghamshire? So is the junction actually over the county border closer to Roade, which is in Northants?

 

[The Planner]

The BBC have a news items this morning

Passengers warned of Christmas train disruption​

Train passengers are being warned of significant disruption to their journeys over Christmas and into the new year. Network Rail is carrying out a £26m upgrade to the railway junction across all four main lines at Hanslope in Northamptonshire. Between 24 December and 5 January there will be no trains on the West Coast Main Line between Milton Keynes and Northampton or Rugby, with rail replacement buses in operation. The company said it was part of an investment of £196m by Network Rail to make journeys more reliable for passengers and freight.

The article goes on to say that "Platform improvement work at both Milton Keynes and Wolverton stations was expected to take place at the same time, when no trains would be running from there."

I have two questions - what platform improvements are being made and where exactly is Hanslope Junction located as Hanslope the village isn't in Northamptonshire, (my bold above)- it is in the city borough of Milton Keynes which was the old county of Buckinghamshire? So is the junction actually over the county border closer to Roade, which is in Northants?

If anyone has seen the scaffolding under platform 4, it will be that. Its fixing it, not improving it. Hanslope Jn is next to Pindon End in GoogleMaps.

 

[jfollows]

Hanslope Junction at 56m 47ch is the 70mph crossovers south of Roade at
59m71ch, the Roade crossovers were 25mph and were replaced by Hanslope Junction in November 1971.

 

[EuxtonNeutral]

According to open street map it’s in ‘city of Milton Keynes’ - the west Northamptonshire border is to the north (brown **purple dotted line on this map)

 

[WolvertonWorks]

If anyone has seen the scaffolding under platform 4, it will be that. Its fixing it, not improving it. Hanslope Jn is next to Pindon End in GoogleMaps.

Thanks, that's what we thought it might be.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 13 Oct 2025 ==

Thanks for the location info - so it looks like it was sloppy journalism or a press release from NR written by someone who doesn't know their geography

 

[Nottingham59]

Thanks for the location info - so it looks like it was sloppy journalism or a press release from NR written by someone who doesn't know their geography

openrailwaymap.org is good for railway-specific place names like junctions.
Just putting "hanslope" into the search box will find it.

 

[The Planner]

Thanks, that's what we thought it might be.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 13 Oct 2025 ==

Thanks for the location info - so it looks like it was sloppy journalism or a press release from NR written by someone who doesn't know their geography

As far as the railway is concerned its Hanslope. You are over thinking it.

 

[Magdalia]

Thanks for the location info - so it looks like it was sloppy journalism or a press release from NR written by someone who doesn't know their geography

It was a press release written by someone in Network Rail who didn't appreciate that a lot of rail users won't have a clue where Hanslope is.

In the 21st century a lot of journalism is sloppy in the sense that they copy and paste from press releases without stopping to think whether any editing is needed to make what's written clearer to their readers.

 

[DarloRich]

It was a press release written by someone in Network Rail who didn't appreciate that a lot of rail users won't have a clue where Hanslope is.

In the 21st century a lot of journalism is sloppy in the sense that they copy and paste from press releases without stopping to think whether any editing is needed to make what's written clearer to their readers.

I am sure most railway users know that there is a junction north of Milton Keynes were the line splits for either Northampton or Rugby! Regardless most users wont care where work is being done just what the impact on them as passengers.

Don't over think it

 

[D1511]

I just passed through Hanslope Jn and there's a sign that says "Hanslope Jn" there

 

[Zomboid]

anyone has seen the scaffolding under platform 4, it will be that. Its fixing it, not improving it.

Surely taking a broken thing and making it unbroken is an improvement...

 

[D1511]

Pete Waterman's got a bit of re-modelliing to do then......
I've often looked at that scaffolding under the platform and thought how shonky it looks, never mind the reduced loading capacity, so I'm not surprised it's being sorted.
If they're on a scaffolding removal tip at the moment, I wonder when they'll get round to Crewe........?!

 

[The Planner]

Surely taking a broken thing and making it unbroken is an improvement...

Semantics, but its just putting it back to as it should be. I don't think that is an improvement!

 

[Tester]

Surely taking a broken thing and making it unbroken is an improvement...

Semantics, but its just putting it back to as it should be. I don't think that is an improvement!

The Planner is correct.

It's not an improvement on how it was before it was broken.

 

[Zomboid]

But it is an improvement on how it is today...

Personally I wouldn't describe it as improvement either, but that's PR for you!

 

[edwin_m]

I'd consider it to be a repair.

 

[Magdalia]

I am sure most railway users know that there is a junction north of Milton Keynes were the line splits for either Northampton or Rugby!

I'm fairly sure that most railway users don't think beyond there being tracks from where they get on to where they get off. In my experience the concept of junctions is very poorly understood: most people I know in and around Cambridge have no concept that the Kings Cross and Liverpool Street lines diverge at Shepreth Branch Junction, not outside the old Cambridge station. This means that they are unable to understand why work on Cambridge South must involve closing both routes. I expect that most railway users at Milton Keynes similarly have no concept that the Rugby and Northampton lines don't diverge just outside the station.

 

[DarloRich]

I expect that most railway users at Milton Keynes similarly have no concept that the Rugby and Northampton lines don't diverge just outside the station.

I am fairly certain they do - any regular traveller on LNWR services will know the "bird cage" as it is a sign for passengers for Northampton to sort themselves out and regular travellers on the fast line will know that where Northampton line diverges is a good point for getting your stuff sorted out for alighting at MK.

I agree they might not know the name but they know all about it. This junction is quite distinctive. Do you regularly use that route? if not you might not know how easy to spot it is. It isn't an ordinary flat junction.

 

[Magdalia]

I agree they might not know the name but they know all about it. This junction is quite distinctive. Do you regularly use that route? if not you might not know how easy to spot it is. It isn't an ordinary flat junction.

I do know the route, and the birdcage is a landmark.

But users can know the landmark without knowing that the junction is near to there, and not near to Milton Keynes station. This is especially the case for users who typically make the same journey almost every time they travel.

 

[vic-rijrode]

I'd consider it to be a repair.

Call it a reprovement?

 

[zwk500]

I am fairly certain they do - any regular traveller on LNWR services will know the "bird cage" as it is a sign for passengers for Northampton to sort themselves out and regular travellers on the fast line will know that where Northampton line diverges is a good point for getting your stuff sorted out for alighting at MK.

I agree they might not know the name but they know all about it. This junction is quite distinctive. Do you regularly use that route? if not you might not know how easy to spot it is. It isn't an ordinary flat junction.

On a technical point, the crossovers are quite far removed (over 4 miles) from the point of divergence, so the junction itself is an ordinary flat junction that you'd easily mistake for a bump in the line and the divergence of the two routes with the 'birdcage' structure that's quite distinctive isn't a junction at all.

 

[DarloRich]

On a technical point, the crossovers are quite far removed (over 4 miles) from the point of divergence, so the junction itself is an ordinary flat junction that you'd easily mistake for a bump in the line and the divergence of the two routes with the 'birdcage' structure that's quite distinctive isn't a junction at all.

I would never had said it was 4 miles!

 

[edwin_m]

On a technical point, the crossovers are quite far removed (over 4 miles) from the point of divergence, so the junction itself is an ordinary flat junction that you'd easily mistake for a bump in the line and the divergence of the two routes with the 'birdcage' structure that's quite distinctive isn't a junction at all.

I'm pretty sure the crossovers were originally much closer to the divergence but were relocated onto the nearest suitable bit of straight track to reduce maintenance and probably also increase speeds.

 

[Tester]

I'm pretty sure the crossovers were originally much closer to the divergence but were relocated onto the nearest suitable bit of straight track to reduce maintenance and probably also increase speeds.

That is correct.

They are 70mph turnouts, which is nothing special today, but were revolutionary when they went in.

I have walked from one end to the other - it's a long way!

 

[jfollows]

I would never had said it was 4 miles!

The birdcage is at milepost 61 or thereabouts, and (post #3)

Hanslope Junction at 56m 47ch is the 70mph crossovers south of Roade at
59m71ch, the Roade crossovers were 25mph and were replaced by Hanslope Junction in November 1971.