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101-559: The Great Western Main Line ( GWML ) is a main line railway in England that runs westwards from London Paddington to Bristol Temple Meads . It connects to other main lines such as those from Reading to Penzance and Swindon to Swansea . The GWML is presently a part of the national rail system managed by Network Rail while the majority of passenger services upon it are provided by the current Great Western Railway franchise. The GWML

202-457: A double track and often contain multiple parallel tracks. Main line tracks are typically operated at higher speeds than branch lines and are generally built and maintained to a higher standard than yards and branch lines. Main lines may also be operated under shared access by a number of railway companies, with sidings and branches operated by private companies or single railway companies. Railway points (UK) or switches (US) are usually set in

303-633: A borough in Lancashire in 1207, Liverpool became a significant town in the late 17th century, when the port at nearby Chester began to silt up. The Port of Liverpool became heavily involved in the Atlantic slave trade , with the first slave ship departing from the town in 1699. The port also imported much of the cotton required by the neighbouring Lancashire textile mills , and became a major departure point for English and Irish emigrants to North America. Liverpool rose to global economic importance at

404-671: A city which also suffered severe aerial bombing during the war. In the 1950s and 1960s, much of the immediate reconstruction that took place in the city centre proved to be deeply unpopular. The historic portions of the city that had survived German bombing suffered extensive destruction during urban renewal. It has been argued that the so-called "Shankland Plan" of the 1960s, named after the town planner Graeme Shankland , led to compromised town planning and vast road-building schemes that devastated and divided inner city neighbourhoods. Concrete brutalist architecture , compromised visions, botched projects and grand designs that were never realised became

505-556: A joint European Capital of Culture for 2008. The celebrations included the erection of La Princesse , a large mechanical spider 20 metres high and weighing 37 tonnes, which represented the "eight legs" of Liverpool: honour, history, music, the Mersey, the ports, governance, sunshine and culture. La Princesse roamed the streets of the city during the festivities, and concluded by entering the Queensway Tunnel . Spearheaded by

606-597: A number of announcements and delays, the government announced in March 2011 that it would electrify the line as far as Bristol Temple Meads. Following delays to the work and a large increase in costs, the Conservative government announced in July 2017 that, for the time being, electrification would only be completed as far as Thingley Junction, 2 miles (3.2 km) west of Chippenham. Electrification as far as Didcot Parkway

707-480: A pool or creek, and is first recorded around 1190 as Liuerpul . According to the Cambridge Dictionary of English Place-Names , "The original reference was to a pool or tidal creek now filled up into which two streams drained". The place appearing as Leyrpole , in a legal record of 1418, may also refer to Liverpool. Other origins of the name have been suggested, including "elverpool", a reference to

808-732: A population of 496,770 in 2022. The city is located on the eastern side of the Mersey Estuary , adjacent to the Irish Sea , and is approximately 178 miles (286 km) northwest of London . Liverpool is the fifth largest city in the United Kingdom and the largest settlement in Merseyside. It is part of the Liverpool City Region , a combined authority with a population of over 1.5 million. Established as

909-462: A railway to be built to help maintain the city's position as the second port of the country as well as the chief one for American trade. More specifically, fearing rising competition from Liverpool and railway developments to its favour, the sought railway was to be preferably built to superior standards as to out-perform any of the lines serving the North West of England . Thus, the line built by

1010-407: A regenerated Albert Dock which proved to be a catalyst for further regeneration. In the mid-1990s, the city enjoyed growth rates higher than the national average. At the end of the 20th century, Liverpool was concentrating on regeneration, a process that continues today. Ongoing regeneration combined with the hosting of internationally significant events has helped to re-purpose Liverpool as one of

1111-481: A route south of the Great Western Main Line to link the airport with Reading. Plans for electrification of the line will make it easier to access Heathrow from Reading, since lack of electrification between Reading station and Airport Junction (near West Drayton station) was a limiting factor. Plans under consideration in 2014 included new tunnels between Heathrow and Langley . Signalling Solutions

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1212-622: A safety measure. In 1948, the Great Western Railway, and thus the GWML, was merged into the Western Region of British Railways . During the 1970s, the GWML was upgraded to support higher line speeds, as a result of which many sections permitted 125 mph (201 km/h) operations, enabling the newly introduced InterCity 125 high speed train (HST) to make faster journeys. British Rail proposed widespread electrification of

1313-499: A series of passing loops allow fast trains to overtake slower ones. This section is signalled for bi-directional running on each line but this facility is usually only used during engineering working or when there is significant disruption to traffic in one direction. The summit of the line is at Swindon, and falls away in each direction: Swindon is 270 feet (82 m) above Paddington, and 292 feet (89 m) above Bristol Temple Meads. The maximum gradient between Paddington and Didcot

1414-428: A £5   billion modernisation by Network Rail. Reading railway station saw a major redevelopment with new platforms, a new entrance, footbridge and lifts; the work was completed a year ahead of schedule in July 2014. The eastern section from Paddington to Hayes & Harlington was electrified in 1998. The Crossrail project covered electrification of the line from Airport Junction to Maidenhead and, following

1515-523: Is Llynlleifiad , again a 19th-century coining. " Llyn " is pool, but " lleifiad " has no obvious meaning. G. Melville Richards (1910–1973), a pioneer of scientific toponymy in Wales, in "Place Names of North Wales", does not attempt to explain it beyond noting that " lleifiad " is used as a Welsh equivalent of "Liver". A derivative form of a learned borrowing into Welsh ( * llaf ) of Latin lāma (slough, bog, fen) to give " lleifiad "

1616-494: Is 1 in 1320 (0.75   ‰ or 0.075 % ); between Didcot and Swindon it is 1 in 660 (1.5   ‰ or 0.15%) but west of Swindon, gradients as steep as 1 in 100 (10   ‰ or 1%) are found in places, such as Box Tunnel and to the east of Dauntsey . The line is electrified between Paddington and Langley Burrell (just east of Chippenham) using 25 kV AC overhead supply lines; the Reading to Taunton line (as far as Newbury) and

1717-571: Is a connecting Transport for Wales boat train to/from Fishguard Harbour for the Stena Line ferry to Rosslare Europort in Ireland . An integrated timetable is offered between London Paddington and Rosslare Europort with through ticketing available. Daytime and nocturnal journeys are offered in both directions daily (including Sundays). Between London and Didcot there are four tracks, two for each direction. The main lines are mostly used by

1818-476: Is also home to the UK's oldest surviving classical orchestra ( Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra ) and repertory theatre ( Liverpool Playhouse ). In 1864, Peter Ellis built the world's first iron-framed, curtain-walled office building, Oriel Chambers , which was a prototype of the skyscraper. The UK's first purpose-built department store was Compton House , completed in 1867 for the retailer J.R. Jeffrey. It

1919-410: Is home to the UK's second highest number of art galleries , national museums , listed buildings , and parks and open spaces , with only London having more. It is often used as a filming location due to its distinctive architecture , and was the fifth most visited UK city by foreign tourists in 2022. It is the only UNESCO City of Music in England and has produced countless musicians , most notably

2020-409: Is in the city centre; transport is also served by the underground Merseyrail network. The city's port was the fourth largest in the UK in 2023, with numerous shipping and freight lines having headquarters and offices there. Residents of Liverpool are often called "Scousers" in reference to scouse , a local stew made popular by sailors in the city, while "Scouse" is also the most common name given to

2121-570: Is named after the city. As early as 1851, the city was described as "the New York of Europe". During the late 19th and early 20th century, Liverpool was attracting immigrants from across Europe. This resulted in the construction of a diverse array of religious buildings in the city for the new ethnic and religious groups, many of which are still in use today. The Deutsche Kirche Liverpool , Greek Orthodox Church of St Nicholas , Gustav Adolf Church and Princes Road Synagogue were all established in

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2222-559: Is possible, but unproven. In the Middle Ages , Liverpool existed firstly as farmland within the West Derby Hundred before growing in to a small town of farmers, fishermen and tradesmen and tactical army base for King John of England . The town was planned with its own castle , although due to outbreaks of disease and its subordinance to the nearby Roman port of Chester , the town's growth and prosperity stagnated until

2323-633: Is to resignal the 12 miles (19 km) from Paddington to West Drayton , including the Airport branch, as part of the Crossrail project. There are calls for the reintroduction of Corsham station due to recent growth of the town. The original station was closed to passengers in 1965. A local group is campaigning for the reopening of Saltford station between Bath and Bristol, to coincide with electrification. Main line (railway) For capacity reasons, main lines in many countries have at least

2424-598: The Warship locomotives, which were based on proven West German designs, the British-designed Class 14 , Hymek and Western types. However, these were all eventually withdrawn and replaced with more standard British Rail diesel-electric classes such as the Class 37 and Class 47 . During the 1970s, the line speed of the GWML was upgraded to permit faster operations; this work was in preparation for

2525-606: The 1979–90 Conservative governments that succeeded the 1976–79 Labour government , the proposal was not implemented. In the mid-1990s, the line between London Paddington and Hayes & Harlington was electrified as part of the Heathrow Express scheme, which was officially launched in June 1998. As part of the privatisation of British Rail , the Great Western InterCity franchise was awarded by

2626-568: The British Armed Forces , settled in Liverpool and other port cities. In June 1919, they were subject to attack by whites in racial riots; residents in the port included Swedish immigrants , and both groups had to compete with native people from Liverpool for jobs and housing. In this period, race riots also took place in other port cities. The Housing Act 1919 resulted in mass council housing being built across Liverpool during

2727-545: The Class 800 trains are slower in diesel mode than under electric power. Network Rail plans to install European Rail Traffic Management System (ERTMS) in-cab signalling on the Great Western line; this is a pre-requisite for the Super Express trains to run at 140   mph (225   km/h). Some of this resignalling work was undertaken during the electrification work. Furthermore, Network Rail has envisaged

2828-574: The Director of Passenger Rail Franchising to Great Western Holdings in December 1995, and it began operations on 4 February 1996. Via multiple contract extensions, this operator, which currently trades as Great Western Railway has been the primary operator of passenger services on the GWML for multiple decades. In August 2008, it was announced that a number of speed limits on the relief lines between Reading and London had been raised, so that 86% of

2929-545: The English Civil War , including a brief siege in 1644. In 1699, the same year as its first recorded slave ship , Liverpool Merchant , set sail for Africa, Liverpool was made a parish by Act of Parliament . But arguably, the legislation of 1695 that reformed the Liverpool council was of more significance to its subsequent development. Since Roman times , the nearby city of Chester on the River Dee had been

3030-551: The Eurovision Song Contest 2023 . Liverpool has been a centre of invention and innovation. Railways, transatlantic steamships , municipal trams, and electric trains were all pioneered in Liverpool as modes of mass transit. In 1829 and 1836, the first railway tunnels in the world were constructed under Liverpool ( Wapping Tunnel ). From 1950 to 1951, the world's first scheduled passenger helicopter service ran between Liverpool and Cardiff . The first School for

3131-584: The Great War was marked by social unrest, as society grappled with the massive war losses of young men, as well as trying to re-integrate veterans into civilian life and the economy. Unemployment and poor living standards greeted many ex-servicemen. Union organising and strikes took place in numerous locations, including a police strike in Liverpool among the City Police . Numerous colonial soldiers and sailors from Africa and India, who had served with

Great Western Main Line - Misplaced Pages Continue

3232-495: The Great Western Railway and engineered by Isambard Kingdom Brunel was originally a dual track line using a wider 7 ft ( 2,134 mm ) broad gauge . The line's construction costs were considerably higher due to the use of this broad gauge. The route of the GWML includes dozens of listed buildings and structures, including tunnel portals, bridges and viaducts, stations, and associated hotels. Part of

3333-910: The Hitachi Super Express high speed trains, specifically the Class 800 and Class 802 . Due to budget overruns, the British government deferred electrification of the section through Bath Spa from Royal Wootton Bassett to Bristol in 2016. Communities served by the GWML include West London (including Acton , Ealing , Hanwell , Southall , Hayes , Harlington and West Drayton ); Iver ; Langley ; Slough ; Burnham ; Taplow ; Maidenhead ; Twyford ; Reading ; Tilehurst ; Pangbourne ; Goring-on-Thames ; Streatley ; Cholsey ; Didcot ; Swindon ; Chippenham ; Bath ; Keynsham ; and Bristol . The route includes dozens of listed buildings and structures, including tunnel portals, bridges and viaducts, stations, and associated hotels. Presently,

3434-730: The Macgregor Laird expedition to the Niger River, at that time in progress. This is to a painting by Samuel Austin , Liverpool, from the Mersey . Britain was a major market for cotton imported from the Deep South of the United States, which fed the textile industry in the country. Given the crucial place cotton held in the city's economy, during the American Civil War Liverpool was, in

3535-525: The Paradise Project , a £920 million development based on Paradise Street . This produced one of the most significant changes to Liverpool's city centre since the post-war reconstruction. Renamed as ' Liverpool One ,' the centre opened in May 2008. In 2007, events and celebrations took place in honour of the 800th anniversary of the founding of the borough of Liverpool. Liverpool was designated as

3636-570: The Queensway Tunnel linking Liverpool and Birkenhead . Described as "the eighth wonder of the world" at the time of its construction, it was the longest underwater tunnel in the world for 24 years. In 1897, the Lumière brothers filmed Liverpool, including what is believed to be the world's first tracking shot , taken from the Liverpool Overhead Railway , the world's first elevated electrified railway. The Overhead Railway

3737-561: The River Dee continued to silt up, Liverpool began to grow with increasing rapidity. The first commercial wet dock was built in Liverpool in 1715. Substantial profits from the slave trade and tobacco helped the town to prosper and rapidly grow, although several prominent local men, including William Rathbone , William Roscoe and Edward Rushton , were at the forefront of the local abolitionist movement . The 19th century saw Liverpool rise to global economic importance. Pioneering, world first , technology and civic facilities launched in

3838-534: The Slough rail accident of 1900, in which five passengers were killed, improved vacuum braking systems were used on locomotives and passenger rolling stock; furthermore, Automatic Train Control (ATC) was introduced in 1908. Further widenings of the line took place between 1903 and 1910; another round of widening works occurred between 1931 and 1932. By the 1930s, trains traversing the GWML were reportedly attaining

3939-578: The Wessex Main Line , although this involves a reversal at Bradford Junction; and from Reading to Bath via the Reading–Taunton line . Most services are provided by Great Western Railway (GWR). The stations served by trains between London Paddington and Bristol Temple Meads are Reading , Didcot Parkway , Swindon , Chippenham , and Bath Spa . Some trains between London and Bristol do not call at Didcot Parkway. The Elizabeth line runs on

4040-538: The distinctive local accent . The city's cultural and ethnic diversity has resulted from its history of attracting immigrants, especially from Ireland, Scandinavia, and Wales; it is also the home of the earliest black community in the UK , the earliest Chinese community in Europe , and the first mosque in England. The name comes from the Old English lifer , meaning thick or muddy water, and pōl , meaning

4141-537: The sea-holly was Liverpool's final choice. The initiative was designed to highlight growing threats to the UK's flower species and also ask the public about which flowers best represented their county. Capitalising on the popularity of 1960s rock groups, such as the Beatles , as well as the city's world-class art galleries, museums and landmarks, tourism and culture have become a significant factor in Liverpool's economy. In 2004, property developer Grosvenor started

Great Western Main Line - Misplaced Pages Continue

4242-484: The " Merseybeat " sound, which became synonymous with the Beatles and fellow Liverpudlian rock bands. Influenced by American rhythm and blues and rock music, they also in turn strongly affected American music. The Beatles became internationally known in the early 1960s and performed around the world together ; they were, and continue to be, the most commercially successful and musically influential band in popular history. Their co-founder, singer, and composer John Lennon

4343-537: The 1800s to serve Liverpool's growing German, Greek, Nordic and Jewish communities, respectively. One of Liverpool's oldest surviving churches, St. Peter's Roman Catholic Church , served the Polish community in its final years as a place of worship. The 20th century saw Liverpool's established rank as a global economic powerhouse challenged. Its strategic location as an international seaport made it particularly vulnerable in two World wars . Economic depressions (both in

4444-568: The 1840s when Irish migrants began arriving by the hundreds of thousands as a result of the Great Famine . While many Irish settled during this time in the city, a large percentage also emigrated to the United States or moved to the industrial centres of Lancashire , Yorkshire and the Midlands . In her poetical illustration "Liverpool" (1832), which celebrates the city's worldwide commerce, Letitia Elizabeth Landon refers specifically to

4545-480: The 1920s and 1930s. In the 1920s and 1930s, as much as 15% of the city's population (around 140,000 people) was relocated from the inner-city to new purpose built, lower density suburban housing estates, based on the belief that this would improve their standard of living, though the overall benefits have been contested. Numerous private homes were also built during this era. During the Great Depression of

4646-507: The Beatles , who are widely regarded as the most influential band of all time ; musicians from the city have released more UK No. 1 hit singles than anywhere else in the world. It has also produced many academics , actors , artists , comedians , filmmakers , poets , scientists , sportspeople , and writers . In sports, it is known as the home of Premier League football teams Everton FC and Liverpool FC . The world's oldest still-operating mainline train station, Liverpool Lime Street ,

4747-822: The Blind , Mechanics' Institute , High School for Girls, council house, and Juvenile Court were all founded in Liverpool. Charities such as the RSPCA , NSPCC , Age Concern , Relate , and Citizen's Advice Bureau all evolved from work in the city. The first lifeboat station, public bath and wash-house, sanitary act, medical officer for health ( William Henry Duncan ), district nurse, slum clearance , purpose-built ambulance, X-ray medical diagnosis, school of tropical medicine ( Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine ), motorised municipal fire-engine, free school meal, cancer research centre, and zoonosis research centre all originated in Liverpool. The first British Nobel Prize

4848-618: The Cornish Riviera Express, which again made full use of the wider loading gauge on that route. At the outbreak of the First World War in 1914, the Great Western Railway, and thus the GWML, was taken into government control, as were most major railways in Britain. After the conflict, the companies were reorganised into the "big four" companies , of which the Great Western Railway was one. The railways, including

4949-409: The GWML is electrified between London Paddington and Royal Wootton Bassett. In the long term, Network Rail plans to install European Rail Traffic Management System (ERTMS) in-cab signalling across the entire line. The construction of what would become the GWML was motivated by several factors, one of the more influential being the sizeable merchant community of Bristol, which keenly advocated for such

5050-525: The GWML, returned to direct government control during the Second World War before being nationalised to form British Railways (BR) in 1948, thus bringing the line into public ownership. Unlike the other BR regions, which introduced diesel-electric locomotives, the Western Region , to which the GWML belonged, decided to procure a complete range of diesel-hydraulic locomotives to fulfil its type 1 to type 4 power requirements. These included

5151-484: The Great Western Main Line between London and Reading. Fast Heathrow Express trains from Paddington to London Heathrow Airport are operated by GWR on behalf of Heathrow Airport Holdings . CrossCountry operate trains between Reading and Oxford, using the Great Western Main Line as far as Didcot. Great Western Railway also operate a train between London Paddington – Cardiff Central every 30   minutes, with hourly extensions to Swansea . At Swansea/Cardiff there

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5252-530: The Mersey, and the CSS Shenandoah surrendered there (being the final surrender at the end of the war). The city was also the center of Confederate purchasing war materiel, including arms and ammunition, uniforms, and naval supplies to be smuggled by British blockade runners to the South . For periods during the 19th century, the wealth of Liverpool exceeded that of London, and Liverpool's Custom House

5353-752: The National Olympian Association in Liverpool, a forerunner of the British Olympic Association . Its articles of foundation provided the framework for the Olympic Charter . A concept devised by retail entrepreneur David Lewis , the first Christmas grotto opened in Lewis's department store in Liverpool in 1879. Sir Alfred Lewis Jones , a shipowner, introduced bananas to the UK via Liverpool's docks in 1884. The Mersey Railway , opened in 1886, incorporated

5454-606: The Queen recognised Liverpool as "one of the most distinctive and energetic parts of the United Kingdom", and paid tribute to the city's "major orchestras, world-class museums and galleries". She also acknowledged Liverpool's bid to become the European Capital of Culture . To celebrate the Golden Jubilee of Elizabeth II in 2002, the conservation charity Plantlife organised a competition to choose county flowers ;

5555-589: The South Wales Main Line (as far as Cardiff Central) are also electrified. The line speed is 125 mph (201 km/h). The relief lines from Paddington to Didcot are limited to 90 mph (140 km/h) as far as Reading, and then 100 mph (160 km/h) to Didcot. Lower restrictions apply at various locations. The line is one of two Network Rail -owned lines equipped with the Automatic Train Protection (ATP) system,

5656-526: The UK's first Underwriters' Association and the first Institute of Accountants . The Western world's first financial derivatives (cotton futures) were traded on the Liverpool Cotton Exchange in the late 1700s. In the arts, Liverpool was home to the first lending library ( The Lyceum ), athenaeum society ( Liverpool Athenaeum ), arts centre ( Bluecoat Chambers ), and public art conservation centre ( National Conservation Centre ). It

5757-414: The United Kingdom and across the world), changing housing patterns and containerisation in the maritime industry contributed to a downtrend in the city's productivity and prosperity. Despite this, the city's influence on global popular culture excelled and by the end of the century, the continuing process of urban renewal paved the way for the redefined modern city of the 21st century. The period after

5858-750: The abandonment of diesel-only trains in favour of bi-mode trains, which were elongated and outfitted with a second transformer to maximise their use of the electrified sections. The electrification of the line also allowed the introduction of other rolling stock, such as Class 387 EMUs, to conduct shorter-distance services. Communities served by the Great Western Main Line include West London (including Acton , Ealing , Hanwell , Southall , Hayes , Harlington and West Drayton ); Iver ; Langley ; Slough ; Burnham ; Taplow ; Maidenhead ; Twyford ; Reading ; Tilehurst ; Pangbourne ; Goring-on-Thames ; Streatley ; Cholsey ; Didcot ; Swindon ; Chippenham ; Bath ; Keynsham ; and Bristol . From London to Didcot,

5959-411: The area. More immigrants arrived after World War II, mostly settling in older inner-city areas such as Toxteth , where housing was less expensive. The black population of Liverpool was recorded at 1.90% in 2011. In the 2021 Census , 5.2% described themselves as black African, Caribbean, mixed white and black African, mixed white and Caribbean or 'other black'. In the 1960s, Liverpool was the centre of

6060-633: The borough was probably due to King John deciding it would be a convenient place to embark men and supplies for his Irish campaigns , in particular John's Irish campaign of 1209 . The original street plan of Liverpool is said to have been designed by King John near the same time it was granted a royal charter , making it a borough. The original seven streets were laid out in the shape of a double cross: Bank Street (now Water Street ), Castle Street , Chapel Street , Dale Street , Juggler Street (now High Street ), Moor Street (now Tithebarn Street ) and Whiteacre Street (now Old Hall Street ). Liverpool Castle

6161-522: The central government in London. Liverpool in the 1980s has been labelled as Britain's 'shock city'. Once the second city of the British Empire which rivalled the capital city in global significance, Liverpool had collapsed in to its 'nadir' at the depths of post-colonial , post-industrial Britain. In the late 20th century, Liverpool's economy began to recover. The late 1980s saw the opening of

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6262-538: The city and form an important part of the economy. In June 2014, Prime Minister David Cameron launched the International Festival for Business in Liverpool, the world's largest business event in 2014, and the largest in the UK since the Festival of Britain in 1951. The Labour Party has chosen Liverpool numerous times since the mid 2010s for their annual Labour Party Conference . Liverpool hosted

6363-550: The city to serve the accelerating population which was fuelled by an influx of ethnic and religious communities from all around the world. By the start of the 19th century, a large volume of trade was passing through Liverpool, and the construction of major buildings reflected this wealth. In 1830, Liverpool and Manchester became the first cities to have an intercity rail link, through the Liverpool and Manchester Railway . The population continued to rise rapidly, especially during

6464-481: The city's docks became largely obsolete, and dock workers were made unemployed. By the early 1980s, unemployment rates in Liverpool were among the highest in the UK, standing at 17% by January 1982 although, this was about half the level of unemployment that had affected the city during the Great Depression some 50 years previously. During this period, Liverpool became a hub of fierce left-wing opposition to

6565-484: The city. By the 2020s, urban regeneration throughout the city continues. Liverpool Waters , a mixed-use development in the city's disused northern docklands, has been identified as one of the largest megaprojects in the UK's history. Everton's new stadium at Bramley-Moore Dock was regarded as the largest single-site private sector development in the United Kingdom at the time of construction. Major events, business and political conferences regularly take place in

6666-525: The deployment of ERTMS to function as the replacement for the aging ATP system. Further capacity improvements are also scheduled at Swindon, adding to recent changes and the new Platform 4. Crossrail services are planned to terminate at Reading. Some of the current suburban services into London Paddington are planned to be transferred to the new Crossrail service, which will free up some surface-level capacity at Paddington. Other more distant aspirations include resignalling and capacity improvements at Reading;

6767-744: The direction of the main line by default. Failure to do so has been a factor in several fatal railway accidents , for example the Buttevant Rail Disaster in Ireland, and the Graniteville train crash in the US. This rail-transport related article is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . Liverpool Liverpool is a cathedral city , port city , and metropolitan borough in Merseyside , England. It had

6868-514: The early 1930s, unemployment peaked at around 30% in the city. Liverpool was the site of Britain's first provincial airport , operating from 1930. During the Second World War , the critical strategic importance of Liverpool was recognised by both Hitler and Churchill . The city was heavily bombed by the Germans, suffering a blitz second only to London's. The pivotal Battle of the Atlantic

6969-412: The faster trains and are on the south side of the route. The relief lines on the north side are used for slower services and those that call at all stations, as only London Paddington, Slough, Maidenhead, Twyford, Reading and Didcot Parkway stations have platforms on the main lines (although a few others have main line platforms that can be used in an emergency). Between Didcot and Royal Wootton Bassett ,

7070-413: The forefront of the Industrial Revolution in the 19th century and was home to the first intercity railway , the first non-combustible warehouse system (the Royal Albert Dock ), and a pioneering elevated electrical railway ; it was granted city status in 1880 and was moved from Lancashire to the newly created county of Merseyside in 1974 . Like many other British cities, it entered a period of decline in

7171-421: The formation of the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority in a form of devolution . With a devolved budget granted by central government , the authority now oversees and invests in foremost strategic affairs throughout the Liverpool City Region , including major regeneration projects. The authority, along with Liverpool City Council itself, has embarked on long-term plans to grow the population and economy of

7272-401: The highest average speeds in the world. A legacy of the broad gauge was that trains for some routes could be built slightly wider than was normal in Britain; examples included the 1929-built " Super Saloons " used on the boat train services that conveyed transatlantic passengers to London in luxury. When the company celebrated its centenary during 1935, new "Centenary" carriages were built for

7373-575: The introduction of the InterCity 125 high speed train (HST). The HST brought about considerable improvements in service and reduced journey times. In 1977, the Parliamentary Select Committee on Nationalised Industries recommended considering electrification of more of Britain's rail network and, by 1979, British Rail had presented a range of options that included electrifying the line from Paddington to Swansea by 2000. Under

7474-528: The large number of eels in the Mersey . The adjective "Liverpudlian" was first recorded in 1833. Although the Old English origin of the name Liverpool is beyond dispute, claims are sometimes made that the name Liverpool is of Welsh origin, but these are without foundation. The Welsh name for Liverpool is Lerpwl , from a former English local form Leerpool. This is a reduction of the form "Leverpool" with

7575-656: The last 500 miles of track were converted to standard gauge. Between 1877 and 1899, the original dual tracks were widened to four in numerous places, mainly in the east half of the line: Paddington to Southall (October 1877), Southall to West Drayton (November 1878), West Drayton to Slough (June 1879), Slough to east side of Maidenhead Bridge (September 1884), Maidenhead Bridge to Reading (June 1893), Reading station (1899), Reading to Pangbourne (July 1893), Pangbourne to Cholsey and Moulsford (June 1894), Cholsey and Moulsford to Didcot (December 1892); also short sections between Didcot and Swindon, and at Bristol. Following

7676-408: The late 17th and early 18th centuries. Substantial growth took place in the mid-late 18th century when the town became the most heavily involved European port in the Atlantic slave trade . King John 's letters patent of 1207 announced the foundation of the borough of Liverpool (then spelt as Liuerpul ). There is no evidence that the place had previously been a centre of any trade. The creation of

7777-492: The line could be used at 90 mph (140 km/h). By 2019, the partial electrification of the GWML permitted the replacement of InterCity 125 and Class 180 sets by new Hitachi Super Express high speed trains – the Class 800 and Class 802 . The procurement programme for these trains, known as the Intercity Express Programme , was highly impacted by the GWML's electrification scheme, particularly

7878-767: The line follows the Thames Valley , crossing the River Thames three times, including on the Maidenhead Railway Bridge . Between Chippenham and Bath the line passes through Box Tunnel , and then follows the valley of the River Avon . A junction west of Swindon allows trains to reach Bristol by an alternative route along the South Wales Main Line . Other diversionary routes exist between Chippenham and Bath via Melksham and

7979-531: The line in the late 1970s, although this was not speedily implemented. During the mid-1990s, a stretch of the GWML between London Paddington and Hayes & Harlington was electrified using 25 kV AC overhead lines for the Heathrow Express . Further, although not total, electrification was carried out during the 2010s; this permitted the replacement of diesel-powered trains such as the InterCity 125 and Class 180 with electric and bi-mode train sets such as

8080-417: The loss of the intervocalic [v] (seen in other English names and words e.g. Daventry (Northamptonshire) > Danetry, never-do-well > ne’er-do-well). In the 19th century, some Welsh publications used the name " Lle'r Pwll " ("(the) place (of) the pool"), a reinterpretation of Lerpwl , probably in the belief that " Lle'r Pwll " was the original form. Another name, which is widely known even today,

8181-538: The mid-20th century; however, it has experienced significant and ongoing regeneration since the European Union selected it as the European Capital of Culture in 2008, which was reported to have generated over £800 million for the local economy within a year. The economy of Liverpool is diversified and encompasses tourism, culture , maritime , hospitality , healthcare , life sciences , advanced manufacturing, creative , and digital sectors. The city

8282-421: The most visited, tourist orientated, cities in the United Kingdom. City leaders are focussing on long-term strategies to grow the city's population and economy, while national government explores the continuous potential for devolution in the city. In 2002, Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh visited Liverpool to mark the Golden Jubilee . On speaking to an audience at Liverpool Town Hall ,

8383-622: The multi-billion- pound Liverpool ONE development, regeneration continued throughout the 2010s. Some of the most significant redevelopment projects included new buildings in the Commercial District , King's Dock , Mann Island , around Lime Street , the Baltic Triangle , RopeWalks , and Edge Lane . Changes to Liverpool's governance took place in 2014. The local authority of Liverpool City Council decided to pool its power and resources with surrounding boroughs through

8484-470: The other being the Chiltern Main Line . Major civil engineering structures on the Great Western Main Line include the following. and Bristol Temple Meads Line-side train monitoring equipment includes hot axle box detectors (HABD) and 'Wheelchex' wheel impact load detectors (WILD), sited as follows. (Down Main disconnected December 2016) Since 2011, the Great Western has been undergoing

8585-422: The provision of four continuous tracks between Didcot and Swindon (including a grade-separated junction at Milton, where the westbound relief line switches from the north side of the line to the south); and resignalling between Bath and Bristol to enable trains to run closer together. Access to Heathrow Airport from the west remains an aspiration and the 2009 Heathrow Airtrack scheme, abandoned in 2011, proposed

8686-552: The region's principal port on the Irish Sea . However, as the Dee began to silt up , maritime trade from Chester became increasingly difficult and shifted towards Liverpool on the neighbouring River Mersey . The first of the Liverpool docks was constructed in 1715, and the system of docks gradually grew into a large interconnected system. As trade from the West Indies , including sugar, surpassed that of Ireland and Europe, and as

8787-610: The route passes through and contributes to the Georgian Architecture of the City of Bath World Heritage Site; the path through Sydney Gardens has been described as a "piece of deliberate railway theatre by Brunel without parallel" . Grade I listed structures on the line include London Paddington , Wharncliffe Viaduct , the 1839 Tudor gothic River Avon Bridge in Bristol, and Bristol Temple Meads station . The line

8888-440: The subject of condemnation. Historian Raphael Samuel labelled Graeme Shankland "the butcher of Liverpool". A significant West Indian black community has existed in the city since the first two decades of the 20th century. Like most British cities and industrialised towns, Liverpool became home to a significant number of Commonwealth immigrants, beginning after World War I with colonial soldiers and sailors who had served in

8989-702: The words of historian Sven Beckert , "the most pro-Confederate place in the world outside the Confederacy itself." Liverpool merchants helped to bring out cotton from ports blockaded by the Union Navy , built ships of war for the Confederacy , and supplied the South with military equipment and credit. During the war, the Confederate Navy ship, the CSS Alabama , was built at Birkenhead on

9090-419: The world's first tunnel under a tidal estuary and the world's first deep-level underground stations ( Liverpool James Street railway station ). In 1889, borough engineer John Alexander Brodie invented the football goal net. He was also a pioneer in the use of pre-fabricated housing and oversaw the construction of the UK's first ring road ( A5058 ) and intercity highway ( East Lancashire Road ), as well as

9191-484: Was awarded in 1902 to Ronald Ross , professor at the School of Tropical Medicine, the first school of its kind in the world. Orthopaedic surgery was pioneered in Liverpool by Hugh Owen Thomas , and modern medical anaesthetics by Thomas Cecil Gray . The world's first integrated sewer system was constructed in Liverpool by James Newlands , appointed in 1847 as the UK's first borough engineer. Liverpool also founded

9292-404: Was built before 1235, it survived until it was demolished in the 1720s. By the middle of the 16th century, the population was still around 600, although this was likely to have fallen from an earlier peak of 1000 people due to slow trade and the effects of the plague . In the 17th century, there was slow progress in trade and population growth. Battles for control of the town were waged during

9393-400: Was built by the original Great Western Railway company between 1838 and 1841, as a dual track line in the 7 ft ( 2,134 mm ) broad gauge . The broad gauge remained in use until 1892, after which standard gauge track has been exclusively used. Between 1877 and 1932, many sections of the GWML were widened to four tracks. During 1908, Automatic Train Control (ATC) was introduced as

9494-404: Was completed in December 2017, and to Thingley Junction in December 2019. Electrification of associated lines, including Bristol Parkway to Temple Meads and Didcot to Oxford, was also postponed indefinitely; electrification of the route between London and Cardiff was completed in 2019. The government argued that bi-mode trains would fill in the gaps pending completion of electrification, although

9595-623: Was killed in New York City in 1980. Liverpool Airport was renamed after him in 2002, the first British airport to be named in honour of an individual. Previously part of Lancashire, and a county borough from 1889, Liverpool became a metropolitan borough within the newly created metropolitan county of Merseyside , in 1974. From the mid-1970s onwards, Liverpool's docks and traditional manufacturing industries declined due to restructuring of shipping and heavy industry, causing massive losses of jobs. The advent of containerisation meant that

9696-467: Was opened in stages between 1838 and 1841. The first section, between Paddington Station and Maidenhead Bridge station opened on 4 June 1838, while the final section, between Chippenham and Bath, was opened on completion of the Box Tunnel , the longest railway tunnel driven by that time, in June 1841. The line's alignment was so level and straight it was nicknamed "Brunel's billiard table". The track

9797-463: Was planned, fought and won from Liverpool. The Luftwaffe made 80  air raids on Merseyside , killing 2,500 people and causing damage to almost half the homes in the metropolitan area. Significant rebuilding followed the war, including massive housing estates and the Seaforth Dock , the largest dock project in Britain. Since 1952, Liverpool has been twinned with Cologne , Germany,

9898-600: Was supplemented with a third rail for dual gauge operation, allowing standard gauge 4 ft  8 + 1 ⁄ 2  in ( 1,435 mm ) trains to also operate on the route, in stages between 1854 and 1875. Dual gauge was introduced as follows: London to Reading (October 1861), Reading to Didcot (December 1856), Didcot to Swindon (February 1872), Swindon to Thingley Junction, Chippenham (June 1874), Thingley Junction to Bathampton (March 1875), Bathampton to Bristol (June 1874), Bristol station area (May 1854). The broad gauge remained in use until 1892, at which point

9999-454: Was the first railway in the world to use electric multiple units , employ automatic signalling, and install an escalator. Liverpool inventor Frank Hornby was a visionary in toy development and manufacture, producing three of the most popular lines of toys in the 20th century: Meccano , Hornby Model Railways (both in 1901), and Dinky Toys in 1934. The British Interplanetary Society , founded in Liverpool in 1933 by Phillip Ellaby Cleator,

10100-535: Was the largest store in the world at the time. Between 1862 and 1867, Liverpool held an annual Grand Olympic Festival . Devised by John Hulley and Charles Pierre Melly , these games were the first to be wholly amateur in nature and international in outlook. The programme of the first modern Olympiad in Athens in 1896 was almost identical to that of the Liverpool Olympics. In 1865, Hulley co-founded

10201-598: Was the single largest contributor to the British Exchequer . Liverpool was the only British city ever to have its own Whitehall office. During this century, at least 40% of the world's entire trade passed through Liverpool. In the early 19th century, Liverpool played a major role in the Antarctic sealing industry, in recognition of which Liverpool Beach in the South Shetland Islands

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