Northampton loop

Northampton loop
Southbound train emerging into Roade Cutting, having climbed the incline on the loop line from Northampton to join the main line. The bridge in the distance is on Blisworth to Courteenhall Road.
Overview
Status	Operational
Owner	Network Rail
Locale	Northamptonshire East Midlands West Midlands (region)
Termini	Wolverton, Rugby
Stations	Two
Service
Type	Heavy rail
System	National Rail
Operator(s)	London Northwestern Railway, Avanti West Coast
Rolling stock	Class 350 Desiro Class 390 Pendolino Class 730 Aventra
History
Opened	1881
Technical
Line length	Approx.23+3⁄4 miles (38.2 km)
Number of tracks	Two
Track gauge	4 ft 8+1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge
Electrification	25 kV 50 Hz AC OHLE
Operating speed	75 mph (120 km/h)
Route map (Click to expand) Birmingham Loop Line Trent Valley line Trent Valley Junction Rugby Hillmorton Junction Rugby Parkway (proposed) Kilsby and Crick Daventry International Rail Freight Terminal (DIRFT) Daventry South Junction Crick Tunnel Watford Lodge Tunnel Long Buckby Althorp Park Church Brampton Northampton– Market Harborough line Northampton Northampton–Peterborough line & Bedford–Northampton line Blisworth Northamptonshire Ironstone Railway Hunsbury Hill Tunnel Roade Cutting Roade Hanslope Junction Castlethorpe Wolverton Milton Keynes Central West Coast Main Line

The Northampton loop is a railway line that links the town of Northampton to the West Coast Main Line (WCML), deviating from the faster direct main line which runs to the west. The WCML is a four-tracked line up to either end of the Loop; the 'up' and 'down' fast tracks take the direct route, while the 'up' and 'down' slow tracks are diverted via Northampton railway station. Generally, fast express trains run via the direct line, while freight and slower passenger services run via the loop line.

The southern interconnect between the Northampton loop and the direct London–Birmingham main line is at Hanslope Junction, just north of Milton Keynes. The lines continue to run alongside until the two routes diverge north of Roade at the northern end of Roade Cutting. The loop line then runs north-east for several miles until it reaches Northampton station. The line then heads north-west for around twenty miles, until it rejoins the main line at Hillmorton Junction at Rugby, just east of Rugby station.