Cross Country Route

Cross Country Route
A CrossCountry Class 221 Super Voyager departing from Bristol Temple Meads in 2010
Overview
StatusOperational
OwnerNetwork Rail
Termini
Stations48
Service
TypeSuburban rail, Heavy rail, Inter-city rail
SystemNational Rail
Operator(s)CrossCountry (principal operator)
East Midlands Railway
Great Western Railway
Northern Trains
TransPennine Express
West Midlands Trains
Rolling stockClass 170 Turbostar
Class 220 Voyager
Class 221 Super Voyager
Technical
Track gauge1,435 mm (4 ft 8+12 in) standard gauge
ElectrificationPartial 25 kV AC OHLE, from Bromsgrove to Birmingham New Street, Doncaster and Wakefield Westgate to Neville Hill TMD, Colton Junction to York
In progress: Colton Junction to Church Fenton
Operating speedUp to 125 mph (200 km/h) maximum, some sections limited to 100 mph (160 km/h)
Route map

(Click to expand)

The Cross Country Route is a long-distance railway route in England, which runs from Bristol Temple Meads to York via Birmingham New Street, Derby, Sheffield and Leeds or Doncaster. Inter-city services on the route, which include some of the longest passenger journeys in the UK such as Aberdeen to Penzance, are operated by CrossCountry.

It is classed as a high-speed line because its sections from Birmingham to Wakefield Westgate and from Leeds to York have a speed limit of 125 mph (200 km/h); however, the section from Birmingham to Bristol is limited to 100 mph (160 km/h) because of numerous level crossings, especially half-barrier level crossings, and the section from Wakefield to Leeds has the same limit because of a number of curves.[citation needed]