Great Northern Route

Great Northern
Class 365 523 at King's Cross in new Great Northern livery, September 2015
Overview
Type	Commuter rail, Suburban rail
System	National Rail
Status	Operational
Locale	East of England Greater London
Termini	London King's Cross and Moorgate Welwyn Garden City, Hertford North, Stevenage, Letchworth Garden City, Peterborough, Cambridge and King's Lynn
Operation
Owner	Network Rail
Operator(s)	Great Northern
Depot(s)	Hornsey Electric Multiple Unit Depot
Rolling stock	Class 313 Class 317 Class 321 Class 365 "Networker Express" Class 387 "Electrostar"
Technical
Number of tracks	2-4
Track gauge	1,435 mm (4 ft 8 1⁄2 in) standard gauge
Electrification	25 kV 50hz AC Overhead lines, 750 V DC third rail Northern City Line
Operating speed	100 mph (160 km/h) maximum

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 Moorgate in London. Destinations include Hertford North, Welwyn Garden City, Stevenage, Peterborough, Cambridge 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. By 2018 the line will be connected with the Thameslink route via a junction just south of the High Speed 1 bridge, north of King's Cross, to allow through services to south of London.

The network consists of all local and semi-fast services on these lines:

Additionally, the main service on the Fen Line is provided as part of the route. All services are provided by EMUs.

At privatisation the services became part of West Anglia Great Northern, becoming their sole route in 2004 when the West Anglia services were transferred to 'one'. In April 2006 the services became the responsibility of First Capital Connect. When the Thameslink Programme is completed in 2018, many of these services will become part of the Thameslink network, running through central London to destinations south of the River Thames. In September 2014, the Department for Transport transferred the new Thameslink, Southern and Great Northern franchise to Govia Thameslink Railway.