North Wales Main Line

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North Wales Main Line
North Wales Coast Line in Colwyn Bay along the Irish Sea
Overview
Other name(s)	North Wales Coast Line Holyhead–Crewe line
Native name	Llinell Arfordir Gogledd Cymru Rheilffordd Arfordir Gogledd Cymru Prif Linell Gogledd Cymru Prif Linell y Gogledd Rheilffordd Cryw a Chaergybi
Owner	Network Rail
Locale	Anglesey Gwynedd Conwy County Borough Denbighshire Flintshire Cheshire
Termini	Crewe Holyhead
Stations	19
Service
Type	Heavy Rail
System	National Rail
Operator(s)	Avanti West Coast Transport for Wales Rail
Rolling stock	Class 67 Class 150 "Sprinter" Class 153 "Super Sprinter" Class 158 "Express Sprinter" Class 197 "Civity" Class 221 "Super Voyager" Class 805 "Evero"
History
Opened	1850
Technical
Line length	105.5 miles (169.8 km)
Number of tracks	Double track mostly (except on the Britannia Bridge where there is single track)
Character	Mainly coastal
Track gauge	4 ft 8+1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge
Operating speed	90 mph (145 km/h)
Route map

v t e North Wales Main Line
Legend
Holyhead Stanley Embankment Valley A55 Rhosneigr Tŷ Croes Bodorgan Anglesey Central Railway to Amlwch Gaerwen Llanfairpwll  A55  North Wales Expy. Britannia Bridge over Menai Strait Britannia Bridge Bangor & Carnarvon Railway to Caernarvon Menai Bridge Bangor A5 Bethesda branch line Penrhyn Quarry Railway Port Penrhyn Aber Llanfairfechan Penmaenmawr  A55  North Wales Expy. Conway Marsh Conwy Conwy Railway Bridge over River Conwy Llandudno  A55  North Wales Expy. Deganwy Llandudno Junction Conwy Valley line  A470  Mochdre & Pabo Llandudno & Colwyn Bay Electric Rly. Colwyn Bay Old Colwyn Llysfaen Llandulas Abergele & Pensarn Foryd Vale of Clwyd Railway to Denbigh & Corwen River Clwyd Rhyl Prestatyn Dyserth branch line Talacre Mostyn Holywell Junction Holywell branch line Bagillt Flint Connah's Quay Shotton Borderlands line Queensferry A494 Sandycroft Mold Railway Saltney Ferry Wales England Shrewsbury–Chester line Dee Bridge over River Dee Roodee Viaduct Chester city walls Shropshire Union Canal Northgate Tunnel Wirral line Chester Chester–Warrington line Mid-Cheshire line Waverton Black Dog Whitchurch & Tattenhall Railway Tattenhall Road Beeston Castle and Tarporley Calveley Worleston Crewe Works West Coast Main Line Crewe–Manchester line Crewe Crewe–Derby line Welsh Marches line West Coast Main Line

The North Wales Main Line (Welsh: Prif Linell Gogledd Cymru or Prif Linell y Gogledd; lit. 'North Main Line'),^[1] also known as the North Wales Coast Line (Welsh: Llinell Arfordir Gogledd Cymru),^[2] is a major railway line in the north of Wales and Cheshire, England, running from Crewe on the West Coast Main Line to Holyhead on the Isle of Anglesey. The line has 19 stations, with all except two, Chester and Crewe, being in Wales.

The line is not currently electrified, so Avanti West Coast, the current operator of the West Coast Partnership franchise, currently uses Class 221 Super Voyagers and Class 805 Evero units, which they have done in the case of the former since December 2007 and the latter since June 2024, on routes to Holyhead. Plans to electrify the line were announced in October 2023.^[3]

The line contains several notable engineering structures, including Conwy railway bridge across the River Conwy, and Britannia Bridge across the Menai Strait.