The NWL connected to the existing main line into Birmingham at , and ran south to Bearley, where it connected to the pre-existing single track Hatton to branch line, which had been opened in 1860 by the Stratford on Avon Railway. Part of this branch between Bearley and Stratford was doubled as part of the work, to incorporate it into the new main line, providing a more direct link between Birmingham and Stratford, connecting Henley-in-Arden and Shirley en route. This made redundant the existing branch line to Henley-in-Arden from , which later closed in 1915. The NWL formed the final stage of a new main line route, which also incorporated most of the branch south of Stratford to , opened in 1859, which was also doubled at the same time, and joined to a new line from Honeybourne to Cheltenham (the Honeybourne Line), which had been completed in 1906. This gave the GWR a new main line between the West Midlands and the South West of England and South Wales, providing a shorter link than existing routes via Oxford and Hereford. It thus placed the Great Western in a position to compete with the Birmingham to Bristol route of the Midland Railway.