West Coast Railway Line: Speed Limits Mr. Martlew To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport whether there are plans for the improvement of the West Coast Main Line track north of Preston to increase running speeds. Chris Mole The recently completed modernisation of the West Coast Main Line maximised the opportunities for line speed improvements north of Preston. While the curvature of the line limits speeds in a number of places, significant sections of 125 miles per hour running have been delivered bringing greatly reduced journey times for passengers.