History Chiltern Main Line

1 history

1.1 history
1.2 gw/gc joint line
1.3 bicester cut-off
1.4 heyday, decline , rationalisation
1.5 rejuvenation
1.6 chiltern railways era

history

early history

the original great western railway (gwr) line london paddington birmingham completed in 1852; in 1854 extended wolverhampton. ran via great western main line didcot , via oxford , leamington spa. being circuitous, not compete london , north western railway s london-rugby-birmingham route on journey times.

the open segments of chiltern main line aynho–banbury–leamington–birmingham route , single-track wycombe railway between princes risborough , high wycombe; latter continued south via bourne end maidenhead on great western main line.

gw/gc joint line

in attempt compete lnwr s london–birmingham route , speed goods traffic between london , west-coast port @ birkenhead, gwr took advantage of partnership great central railway (gcr) build new, direct great western , great central joint railway (the companies working on link between woodford halse station , banbury). enabled gcr run faster services had been possible on metropolitan railway route through aylesbury , amersham, congested stopping trains.

the joint line started @ northolt junction in middlesex, 2 lines ran southward:

the direct new north main line (present-day acton–northolt line) towards london paddington via greenford , old oak common, built gwr. included triangular junction @ greenford, providing access great western main line via castle bar park;
a line via south harrow , wembley gcr @ neasden junction, near neasden station on jubilee line, used chiltern trains. authorised gcr act of 12 august 1898, being opened on 2 april 1906.


robinson a5 steam locomotives operated gcr (later lner) local services high wycombe, princes risborough , aylesbury

the joint line ran northwest via gerrards cross high wycombe, met wycombe railway s single-track branch maidenhead aylesbury via princes risborough. north of high wycombe line followed, significant upgrading of formation, including dualling , new alignment line north of saunderton. original route, down line, has gradient of 1 in 88, steep heavy coal trains run gcr. result, 2 tracks horizontally , vertically separated, down line crossing chiltern hills @ risborough gap , line passing through 88-yard (80 m) tunnel on flatter gradient.

on reaching princes risborough, new construction started. station major junction, single-track line dividing 3 branches: chinnor , watlington (which survives in part chinnor , princes risborough railway); thame, wheatley , oxford; , aylesbury. joint line constructed in v formed 2 latter branches, , ran north west ashendon (not yet junction), line curved north join gcr s pre-1906 main line @ grendon underwood junction in buckinghamshire.

the joint line completed in 1906 (with portions opening earlier) gwr , benefited both parties. gcr, unable secure adequate access route via aylesbury, amersham , harrow, gained new , fast bypass route express passenger , freight trains between london , east midlands, while gwr gained faster route birmingham trains, paddington via gerrards cross , princes risborough , temporarily (1906–1910) on wycombe railway via thame regain original route @ oxford, pending opening of bicester cut-off banbury (see next subsection). gcr expresses non-stop between london , rugby use either metropolitan route or joint line, while joint line used gwr expresses paddington birmingham , wolverhampton , on shrewsbury , mid/north wales, chester , birkenhead.

the bicester cut-off

four years later, in 1910, gwr completed line became ashendon junction (a flying junction) north west via bicester meet line oxford @ aynho junction. meant joint line ashendon junction grendon underwood became gcr-only, , sold gcr. cut-off gave gwr faster route between london , birmingham, avoiding oxford; final saving in distance 20 miles (32 km).

heyday, decline , rationalisation

ex-gwr king class locomotive 6008 king james ii hauling paddington birkenhead woodside express in 1950



class 52 hauling express paddington birkenhead woodside near seer green in 1962

during heyday of route, many prestigious trains ran paddington northwest of england via joint line, reaching wolverhampton, shrewsbury, wrexham general, chester , birkenhead woodside. various through services marylebone gcr network ran via joint line between london , ashendon junction.

at nationalisation in 1948, line passed western region of british railways, continued operate paddington – birmingham – wolverhampton - birkenhead fast trains through 1950s in competition london midland region s (lmr) euston via west coast main line (wcml).

the paddington – birmingham – wolverhampton - birkenhead fast service sharply increased in frequency 15 trains day each way 1959–60 timetable compensate withdrawal of lmr trains during electrification of wcml. same reason, chiltern line used many trains between paddington , birkenhead 1965.

all local trains diverted marylebone in 1963 , operated four-car class 115 dmus, , main-line platforms @ greenford on new north route between old oak common , northolt junction closed.

after gcr main line closed between calvert , rugby central in september 1966, trains south coast diverted north of banbury via route. these became forerunners of today s crosscountry services between birmingham , bournemouth.

class 115 dmus operated marylebone - banbury local services between 1960 , 1992

on 6 march 1967, after completion of wcml electrification, express trains paddington birmingham/wolverhampton/birkenhead discontinued under reshaping of british railways. route downgraded secondary status , subsequently single-tracked between princes risborough , aynho junction, remained flying junction, crossing loop @ bicester not used. through lines removed of stations had them, such beaconsfield , denham, , relief lines lifted between lapworth , tyseley. tunnel between birmingham moor street , snow hill closed on 2 march 1968. local services leamington , stratford terminated @ moor street, , remaining services paddington , south coast diverted new street. snow hill closed completely, along of line wolverhampton, on 4 march 1972.

although two-hourly locomotive-hauled semi-fast service paddington birmingham continued via high wycombe, princes risborough, bicester, banbury, leamington , solihull, in 1970s 1 daily peak-hour return journey diverted via reading , oxford, , later via coventry, , in 1980s truncated run banbury only. other passenger services operated dmus , marylebone, extended high wycombe banbury (for connections birmingham), on two-hourly frequency.

in 1977 parliamentary select committee on nationalised industries recommended considering electrification of more of rail network, , 1979 br presented range of options electrify numerous routes 2000. of these options included banbury — birmingham section of line, plus cherwell valley line , coventry leamington line. under 1979–90 conservative governments succeeded 1976–79 labour government proposals not implemented.

the route considered partial closure in 1980s. services have run paddington via new north route, , marylebone station , lines leading have been closed. services , aylesbury have run via princes risborough. however, marylebone formally reprieved in 1986 , closure proposals rescinded.

between 1988 , 1992 british rail carried out total route modernisation included resignalling marylebone aynho junction, , both marylebone aylesbury routes, new marylebone integrated control centre. combined track rationalisation removed of vestigial traces of main-line heritage line, downgrading purely commuter line minimal infrastructure. until then, of four-track section between northolt junction , west ruislip had survived, , high wycombe station had retained of original track layout, though other major stations on line had been downgraded through lines removed. @ same time, new north route between old oak common , northolt junction singled between old oak common , park royal , between greenford , northolt junction. in 1992, signal box @ aynho junction closed , replaced modern signalling controlled banbury south signal box; box demolished in 2002. part of these renovations, br installed advanced automatic train protection (atp) system, trial view rolling out nationwide. however, privatisation intervened, , great western main line other line equipped.

rejuvenation

class 165 dmus introduced chiltern main line network southeast

with sectorisation of british rail in mid-1980s, operations south of banbury fell under control of network southeast in 1986, under thames & chiltern sub-sector, later split 2 constituent parts. in 1987 new station opened @ haddenham & thames parkway. birmingham snow hill reopened in 1987 on smaller scale original, beneath multi-storey car park, tunnel reinstated , new platforms on through lines @ moor street, terminus taken out of use, leamington/stratford services diverted snow hill.

the opening of extension of parallel m40 motorway oxford birmingham in 1991 spawned development in towns along northern section of route, notably bicester, banbury, leamington spa , warwick. generated additional patronage train services in corridor.

class 165 turbo trains introduced in 1991, between marylebone , banbury. these improved passenger comfort , enabled journey times reduced; frequencies increased, hourly stopping service to/from high wycombe , hourly semi-fast service to/from banbury. in 1993, marylebone-banbury services extended snow hill, calling @ leamington spa, warwick, solihull , moor street, on two-hourly frequency, increased hourly following year, when dorridge call added. in 1995 jewellery line re-opened allow worcester line services diverted new street snow hill; allowed of chiltern s weekday peak-period services extended beyond snow hill, first stourbridge junction , kidderminster.

chiltern railways era

upon rail privatisation in 1996, chiltern railways franchise won m40 trains, consortium of management buyout, laing rail (a subsidiary of construction company , pfi specialist john laing plc), , venture capitalist 3i, , in 1998 line between princes risborough , bicester north redoubled company. included total reconstruction of haddenham , thame parkway @ platform level, 2 side platforms instead of single platform constructed in 1987, , new down platform @ princes risborough, raising of speed limit. in 1998 first class 168 clubman trains 100-mile-per-hour (160 km/h) maximum speed introduced reduce journey times.

chiltern railways ordered 19 class 168 dmus marylebone - birmingham services

in 2000 chiltern railways opened new station @ warwick parkway, west of town next a46 , close m40 junction 15. intended railhead nearby towns without station such kenilworth, , towns south of birmingham close m42 no direct rail link london, such redditch , bromsgrove. construction funded chiltern railways support warwickshire county council. @ first chiltern services called there served london midland.

in 2002, after chiltern won 20-year franchise, line between bicester north , aynho junction redoubled. chiltern took on hatton stratford-upon-avon services thames trains , central trains, direct services between marylebone (rather paddington) , stratford. @ time chiltern took on operation of leamington spa, warwick, hatton , lapworth stations central trains, latter s services (now operated london midland) no longer operated beyond dorridge except during weekday peak periods.

john laing plc acquired 84% ownership of m40 trains in 1999, buying out 3i, , bought out henderson investments in 2006, resulting in sale of laing rail german national railway operator deutsche bahn in 2007.

the cherwell valley line between banbury , leamington spa resignalled during 2004, closure of fenny compton signal box , removal of remaining semaphore signals. new signalling , existing signalling in leamington spa station area controlled box @ leamington via new westcad workstation. more leamington birmingham section has been resignalled , controlled new west midlands icc @ saltley (taking on old signalling centre @ saltley) new 4-aspect led signals throughout. however, manual signal boxes @ banbury north , south remained, along gwr lower-quadrant signals controlling bay platforms , sidings @ station. in 2016 station re-modelled , re-signalled, being incorporated west midlands icc take on control oxford (exclusive) in 2016.

most of route birmingham snow hill wolverhampton used midland metro light-rail system, diverges network rail s jewellery line @ hawthorns.

the route between marylebone , leamington/bordesley used open access operator wrexham & shropshire s services london wrexham via tame bridge, wolverhampton , shrewsbury, comprised 3 mk3 coaches hauled class 67 diesel locomotives. since these neither sprinters nor hsts, restricted lower line speeds, e.g. 60 miles per hour (97 km/h) between princes risborough , bicester, , 70 miles per hour (110 km/h) between leamington , bordesley, although permitted travel @ 85 miles per hour (137 km/h) between bicester , aynho. wrexham & shropshire had negotiated network rail allow trains travel @ higher speeds on these sections, required show had sufficient brake force stop such speeds within signal spacings.

only little-used line northolt junction paddington has not been improved.

in september 2006, chiltern completed evergreen 2 upgrade project, carried out carillion, realigned track through beaconsfield increase non-stop speeds 40 75 miles per hour (64 121 km/h), installed additional signals between high wycombe , bicester north , between princes risborough , aylesbury, , added 2 platforms (nos 5 , 6) @ marylebone, on site of daytime carriage sidings, replaced new wembley light maintenance depot, south , west of wembley stadium station. new platforms , partial resignalling of station throat make possible run 20 trains per hour in , out of station.

at weekends during 2008, when major engineering works taking place on wcml, line used virgin trains london euston - birmingham international blockade buster service via willesden, acton main line, ealing broadway, greenford, high wycombe, banbury , coventry, using pairs of five-car class 221 sets.