Great Northern route

Great Northern
A Class 717 standing at Bowes Park in 2019
Overview
Franchise(s)
Main region(s)
Fleet size
Stations called at54
Parent companyGovia Thameslink Railway
Reporting markGN
Technical
Track gauge1,435 mm (4 ft 8+12 in) standard gauge
Electrification
Other
Websitewww.greatnorthernrail.com Edit this at Wikidata
Route map
Route map
Great Northern route
King's Lynn
Watlington
Downham Market
Littleport
Ely
Waterbeach
Cambridge North
Cambridge
Foxton
Shepreth
Peterborough
Meldreth
Huntingdon
Royston
St Neots
Ashwell & Morden
St Neots South/Tempsford
Sandy
Baldock
Biggleswade
Arlesey
Letchworth Garden City
Hitchin
Stevenage
Knebworth
Watton-at-Stone
Welwyn North
Hertford North
Welwyn Garden City
Bayford
Hatfield
Cuffley
Welham Green
Brookmans Park
Crews Hill
Potters Bar
Gordon Hill
Enfield Chase
Hadley Wood
Grange Park
New Barnet
Winchmore Hill
Oakleigh Park
Palmers Green
New Southgate
Bowes Park
Alexandra Palace
Hornsey
Harringay
London Underground Finsbury Park
London Underground London King's Cross
Drayton Park
London Underground London St Pancras International
Highbury & Islington London Underground London Overground
Essex Road
Old Street London Underground
Moorgate London Underground

The Great Northern route, formerly known as Great Northern Electrics, is the name given to suburban rail services run on the southern end of Britain's East Coast Main Line and its associated branches. Services operate to or from London King's Cross and London Moorgate. Destinations include Hertford North, Welwyn Garden City, Stevenage, and Cambridge, and in peak hours, additional services run to Peterborough and King's Lynn. Services run through parts of Greater London, Hertfordshire, Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire, and Norfolk.

The route forms a major commuter route into London from Hertfordshire, Cambridgeshire, and eastern Bedfordshire: ridership has grown rapidly over recent years. In 2009, rolling stock was transferred from other lines to allow additional services and longer trains to be run. In early 2018, the line was connected to the Thameslink route via a junction just south of the High Speed 1 bridge, north of King's Cross, allowing through services to the south of London.

Since September 2014, the services have been operated by Govia Thameslink Railway (GTR). The Thameslink and Great Northern service brands were maintained and separated from each other.[2]

  1. ^ "National Rail Contract Thameslink, Southern and Great Northern" (PDF). Department for Transport. 24 March 2022. Retrieved 7 March 2023.
  2. ^ "GTR (Govia Thameslink Railway) Presentation" (PDF). Govia. Archived from the original (PDF) on 14 July 2014. Retrieved 10 July 2014.