Marston Vale Line

[ v t e ] Marston Vale Line

Legend m-ch (km) Former Varsity Line to Oxford Swanbourne Siding West Coast Main Line to London Euston 0-00 (0.00) Bletchley West Coast Main Line to Milton Keynes Central 1-17 (1.95) Fenny Stratford 2-09 (3.40) Bow Brickhill 4-15 (6.75) Woburn Sands 5-10 (8.25) Aspley Guise 6-64 (10.95) Ridgmont 8-56 (14.00) Lidlington 10-06 (16.20) Millbrook 11-22 (18.15) Stewartby 13-00 (20.90) Kempston Hardwick Midland Main Line to London St Pancras 16-07 (25.90) Bedford St Johns (current site) 16-07 (25.90) Bedford to Hitchin Line Bedford St Johns (former site) 16-67 (27.10) Bedford former Varsity Line to Cambridge Midland Main Line

The Marston Vale Line (Network Rail route MD 140) is the community rail line between Bletchley and Bedford in England, formerly part of the "Varsity Line" between Oxford and Cambridge.

History

The line was opened in 1845 by the London and Birmingham Railway.

In 1977 the Parliamentary Select Committee on Nationalised Industries recommmended considering electrification of more of Britain's rail network.^[1] By 1979 BR presented a range of options to do so by 2000,^[2] some of which included the Marston Vale Line.^[3] Under the 1979–90 Conservative governments that succeeded the 1976–79 Labour government, the proposal was not implemented.

Silverlink operated the line from privatisation in 1996 until 2007. Services were initially in the hands of a mixture of heritage slam-door diesel multiple units formed of 2-car Class 117 and single-car Class 121 units until replacement with Class 150/1 trains inherited from Central Trains.

Operation

The line is part of the Network Rail Strategic Route 18, SRS 18.12 and is classified as a Rural line.^[4]

Passenger services are operated by London Midland, using Class 153 single-car diesel multiple units and two-car class 150 unit. An hourly service operates in each direction Monday-Saturday.

It is one of a number of British Railways that is covered by a Community Rail Partnership, known as the Marston Vale Community Rail Partnership. Like other Community Rail Partnerships around the country, the Partnership aims to increase use of the line by getting local people involved with their local line. They do this by various means, such as holding community events, running special train services, and publicising the line locally.

Infrastructure

Apart from a short length of single track at both ends, the line is double track, and is not electrified (barring short lengths at either end). It has a loading gauge of W8 and a line speed of 60 miles per hour (97 km/h).^[4] The line's Signalling Centre is at Ridgmont.

Proposed developments

East West Rail Link

The Marston Vale Line is one of the two remaining sections of the Varsity Line still in passenger use.^[5] In the 2011 Autumn Statement the Chancellor of the Exchequer, George Osborne, announced the allocation of £270 million for the East West Rail Consortium to reinstate the Oxford – Bletchley – Bedford section of the Varsity Line. The service will link the Marston Vale Line (calling at Bedford, Lidlington, Woburn Sands and Bletchley only) to Winslow, Bicester Town, Oxford and Reading.^[6][7] The Consortium hopes later to reopen the Bedford — Cambridge section, for which a new route may be required.^[8]

On 16 July 2012 the Coalition Government announced that the Marston Vale route would be electrified, as will the currently disused line from Bletchley to Oxford. This would form part of a wider Electric Spine" stretching from Yorkshire and the West Midlands to Southampton and South Coast Ports.^[9]

Extension to Milton Keynes Central

In June 2005, Silverlink announced their intent to extend their Marston Vale service via the West Coast Main Line to Milton Keynes Central, where a new platform and track would be built (alongside the slow mainline "up" track). On 4 December 2006, work began at Milton Keynes Central to prepare for a service connection from the Marston Vale line.^[10][11] The platform was ready for use in January 2009 but services (now operated by London Midland) cannot begin until re-signalling of the Bletchley station area is completed, currently scheduled for 2013.

References

Sources

• Anonymous (Winter 1979). Railway Electrification. British Railways Board (Central Publicity Unit). pp. 0–2, 8. 

External links

• Marston Vale Community Rail Partnership
• East West Rail Link consortium

v t e Railway lines in the South East Primary International High Speed 1 (Ashford • Ebbsfleet) National Great Western Main Line (Slough • Maidenhead • Reading • Didcot Parkway) West Coast Main Line (Milton Keynes Central) Secondary Berks/Bucks/Oxon to London Aylesbury Line Chiltern Main Line Waterloo to Reading Line (and in Surrey) Windsor & Eton Riverside Line (and in Surrey) Crossrail (under construction) (and past London to Essex) Kent to London Bexleyheath Line Chatham Main Line Dartford Loop Line Kent Coast Line Maidstone Line Medway Valley Line North Kent Line Ramsgate (via Canterbury West) line Sheerness Line South Eastern Main Line Tonbridge Line (and in Surrey) Surrey/Sussex/Hants to London Ascot to Guildford line Alton Line Arun Valley Line Brighton Main Line Caterham Line Fareham Line Hampton Court Branch Line Hastings Line (and in Kent) Chertsey Branch Line Epsom Downs Branch New Guildford Line Oxted Line (and in Kent) Portsmouth Direct Line Shepperton Branch Line South Western Main Line Sutton & Mole Valley Lines Tattenham Corner Line Thameslink (and past London to Beds/Herts) West of England Main Line Others Cherwell Valley Line Cotswold Line Eastleigh to Romsey Line East Coastway Line (inc Marshlink Line) Henley Branch Line Island Line, Isle of Wight Lymington Branch Line Marlow Branch Line Marston Vale Line North Downs Line Oxford to Bicester Line Princes Risborough to Aylesbury Line Reading to Taunton Line West Coastway Line Wessex Main Line Slough to Windsor & Eton Line Reading to Basingstoke Line Seaford Branch Line Heritage Bluebell Railway Chinnor & Princes Risborough Railway Cholsey & Wallingford Railway East Kent Railway Isle of Wight Steam Railway Kent and East Sussex Railway Lavender Line Spa Valley Railway Watercress Line Non-Passenger/Defunct Hundred of Hoo Railway Oxfordshire Ironstone Railway

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Coordinates: 52°01′21″N 0°36′53″W / 52.02249°N 0.61478°W / 52.02249; -0.61478