The Line · route & system

Fourteen stations, drawn to chainage.

All-stop and access-led, from Manchester Castlefield to Leeds Central. The alignment follows the Rochdale Canal, the Summit pass, the Calder & Hebble and the Aire & Calder.

Length
60.6mi
97.5 km bank to bank
Stations
14
Average spacing 4.7 mi
End to end
65min
Route model, not a timetable
Corridor average
56mph
Modelled, all-stop

01 — The route

The route, to scale.

Station positions are drawn to chainage — distance along the corridor from Manchester Castlefield. Apricot marks the two national-rail interchanges.

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Station National-rail interchange Development anchor (TOD)

02 — Station by station

All fourteen, in order.

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Chainage
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Model time
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Specialism
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Model times are route-model references, not a service promise. Draft source labels included "After Mytholmroyd", "Copley-ish" and "West of Elland". The Leeds HS2 interchange appears in old source and should be checked before publication.

03 — The system

Very fast regional metro, not classic express rail.

Access-led and frequency-first. Every train stops at every station, and the corridor still averages 56 mph.

Service philosophy
Access-led, frequency-first
Stopping pattern
All-stop, 14 stations
Shortest spacing
1.6 mi · Copley → West Elland
Longest spacing
9.9 mi · Manchester Castlefield → Rochdale
Rolling stock
High-capacity metro, walk-through vehicles
Boarding
Wide doors, generous standing zones, rapid dwell

04 — The method

Drain. Excavate. Box. Cap.

Bank-to-bank cut-and-cover along the former canal corridor. Two running directions stacked vertically in one box, roughly 14 m deep, with the Green Spine on the lid.

Green Spine Concrete deck EB Eastbound upper Mid slab WB Westbound lower Base slab ≈ 14 m box depth Former canal level (drained)
Phase 1
Drain the canal.
Phase 2
Excavate bank-to-bank.
Phase 3
Build the structural box.
Phase 4
Cap it with a deck — the lid becomes the Green Spine.

Concept figures are source assumptions, not externally validated engineering claims.