The Midland Main Line

[MidnightFlyer]

Hi all,

Just following on from my curiousity surrounding the GWML, what is the definition of the 'true' MML as it stands now. I am aware it used to run up to Carlisle etc via Barnsley and Leeds, but what I want to know is what it is officially defined as now.

Is it St Pancras-Leicester-Nottingham-Chesterfield-Sheffield, or via Derby, or just to Nottingham only?

Thanks all

 

[LE Greys]

It's my understanding that it was Bristol-Birmingham-Derby-Sheffield-Leeds, with London and Carlisle being "long branches" as an afterthought to this primarily-freight cross-country line. The north-south route grew in importance later.

 

[Zoe]

The name of the line from St Pancras is "St Pancras to Chesterfield Line"

 

[Masbroughlad]

When BR was first split into business sectors, one of the INTERCITY profit centres was called Midland Cross Country and was indeed, the line out of St Pancras and the traditional XC routes. It was centred on Derby and Birmingham.

It was when the system was getting ready for privatisation that it became two seperate TOUs - MML and XC.

 

[Lampshade]

Wasn't the 'true' MML:

St Pancras - Leicester - Derby - Bakewell - Millers Dale - Cheadle Heath -Manchester Central?

The others were just an amalgamation of smaller routes such as the S&C and Erewash Valley Line.

 

[LE Greys]

Wasn't the 'true' MML:

St Pancras - Leicester - Derby - Bakewell - Millers Dale - Cheadle Heath -Manchester Central?

The others were just an amalgamation of smaller routes such as the S&C and Erewash Valley Line.

So was the WCML.

• London & Birmingham
• Manchester & Birmingham
• Grand Junction (itself having absorbed the Liverpool & Manchester)
• Lancaster & Carlisle
• Trent Valley (originally independent)
• and bits of the Caledonian.

Early railways tended to be built that way, stringing together bits of line with no long-distance target, just a fairly large city somewhere nearby. Later on, they started through working because it brought in more money, and many of them merged.

 

[yorksrob]

Also, when first built the Midland Mainline to London used to run from Bedford to Hitchen and then to Kings Cross.

 

[Wyvern]

To be exact it first ran to Rugby (or Hampton-in-Arden)

 

[LE Greys]

To be exact it first ran to Rugby (or Hampton-in-Arden)

When it was the south end of the ECML from Edinburgh via York and Sheffield. A bit like HS2, come to think of it. :?

 

[Wyvern]

When it was the south end of the ECML from Edinburgh via York and Sheffield. A bit like HS2, come to think of it. :?

South end of the WCML surely?

 

[Popper]

Wasn't the 'true' MML:

St Pancras - Leicester - Derby - Bakewell - Millers Dale - Cheadle Heath -Manchester Central?

The others were just an amalgamation of smaller routes such as the S&C and Erewash Valley Line.

I've seen photos of Millers Dale station and been there and what with the long platforms and the quadruple track It seems very mainline to me (or was.)

 

[Old Timer]

The term Midland Main Line is the generic name given to the section London St Pancras to Sheffield via Derby, and includes Nottingham and the Trent line from Trent Jct to Clay Cross North Jct.

The true Midland Main Line could be argued to be the route from Brent to Trent Jct and Toton.

There is as far as I am aware no "real" usage or definition of the term Midland Main Line before the 70s. The main line in Midland Railway days generally being regarded as London St Pancras to Glasgow St Enoch via Derby.

Arguably there would be two - as the London to Glasgow, and the Leeds to Bristol lines were equally as busy and equally principal to the Midland Railway

The section between Bedford Midland Road and London St Pancras was known as the "London Extension"

Midland Cross Country was the name of the Inter City business unit that operated the NE/SW services. There was no such definition prior to that.