Cross Country Route
| Cross Country Route | |||
|---|---|---|---|
A CrossCountry Class 221 Super Voyager departing from Bristol Temple Meads in 2010 | |||
| Overview | |||
| Status | Operational | ||
| Owner | Network Rail | ||
| Termini | |||
| Stations | 48 | ||
| Service | |||
| Type | Suburban rail, Heavy rail, Inter-city rail | ||
| System | National Rail | ||
| Operator(s) | CrossCountry (principal operator) East Midlands Railway Great Western Railway Northern Trains TransPennine Express West Midlands Trains | ||
| Rolling stock | Class 170 Turbostar Class 220 Voyager Class 221 Super Voyager | ||
| Technical | |||
| Track gauge | 1,435 mm (4 ft 8+1⁄2 in) standard gauge | ||
| Electrification | Partial 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 speed | Up to 125 mph (200 km/h) maximum, some sections limited to 100 mph (160 km/h) | ||
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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.