Trent Valley line

Trent Valley line
Diagrammatic map of the route in blue.
Overview
Locale	West Midlands (region) Warwickshire Staffordshire
Termini	Rugby Stafford
Stations	8
Operation
Opened	1847
Owner	Network Rail
Technical
Track gauge	1,435 mm (4 ft 8 1⁄2 in) standard gauge

The Trent Valley line is a railway line between Rugby and Stafford in England, forming part of the West Coast Main Line. It is named after the River Trent which it follows. The line was built to provide a direct route from London to North West England and Scotland, and avoid the slower route between Rugby and Stafford via Birmingham.

The cities, towns and villages served by the line are listed below.

A range of intercity and long-distance services use the route. London Midland and Virgin Trains operate all services on the route.

The Trent Valley line was opened in 1847 to give a more direct route from London to the North West of England, bypassing the existing route via Birmingham built by the Grand Junction Railway and the London and Birmingham Railway a decade earlier. The contractor for the 50 miles of double-track line was the London Railway Contractors Partnership of Thomas Brassey, John Stephenson and William MacKenzie. The engineers were Robert Stephenson (no relation to John), George Parker Bidder and Thomas Longridge Gooch and the architect was John William Livock.

Construction was initially started by an independent company, the Trent Valley Railway (TVR), which was established in Manchester in April 1844. Its Act of Incorporation received Royal Assent on 21 July 1845. Construction of the line commenced in November 1845, the first sod being cut ceremonially at Tamworth by Sir Robert Peel on 13 November. In September 1845 Salford-born 26-year-old Edward Watkin was appointed Secretary, and having entered the railway world via the TVR he later went on to become one of Britain's most prominent railway barons.