Cheddington to Aylesbury Line

The London and Birmingham Railway opened in stages, through Cheddington on 9 April 1838, and throughout on 17 September 1838. It formed, with the Grand Junction Railway, the backbone of early railways in Great Britain. As the London and Birmingham line was being built, business interests in Aylesbury were already thinking of how a railway connection might be made between their town and the new railway. In 1815 the town had ensured its connection to the canal network for the transport to market of its agricultural produce, and now wished to do the same with a railway. In these early times, goods traffic was the dominant commercial force. Serious discussions took place over the construction of a branch line and a scheme went to the 1836 session of Parliament. The (6 & 7 Will. 4. c. xxxvii) obtained royal assent on 19 May 1836, without opposition in Parliament. All seemed to be going well, until a local bank, William Medley, Son and Company, of Aylesbury, failed in January 1837. The bank had been strong supporters of the line, and many local businesspeople were embarrassed, causing a local financial panic, and the loss of promised subscriptions to the railway. After urgent reflection, the Aylesbury Railway Company decided to proceed with its branch line, but any ideas it may have harboured regarding an extension on to Oxford, were now dismissed. ==Construction and opening==

The first sod was cut in July 1838. The delay in starting was due to the banking crisis, but also to reconsideration as to the advisability of proceeding with a line to Oxford, and to the problem in negotiating a working arrangement with the London and Birmingham Railway. It was not until 14 December 1837 that the working agreement was finalised. It was stated at a celebratory dinner later that "Prior to the railway opening the only means of travelling to London had been by coach which left Aylesbury at 6 o'clock in the morning arriving in London at 10 o'clock in the evening, 14 hours travelling. By use of the Aylesbury Railway this will now be two hours." ==In operation==

An ordinary train service started the following day, 1 June; there were three trains on each weekday and two on Sundays, connecting with London trains at Cheddington. Goods trains began regular operation in November 1839. On 15 January 1845 the lease of the Aylesbury Railway expired, and on 16 July 1846 the London and Birmingham Railway became part of the new London and North Western Railway; the new company purchased the Aylesbury company for £60,000. A form of absolute block working was brought into use on the branch on 18 November 1880. ==An improved terminus==

The original terminus at Aylesbury was cramped and unsuitable for the growing volume of traffic; a new station fronting High Street at Aylesbury was opened on Sunday 16 June 1889; the old station (at Station Street) was transferred to use as a goods station. The new passenger station did not have a run-round loop, and arriving passenger trains were generally run round by propelling them to the goods yard points to release the engine, and gravitating the coaches back to the platform under the control of the guard. In 1950 this procedure was rendered unnecessary with the introduction of push-and-pull trains, which did not require the engine to run round the train. Bletchley depot had three LMS push-and-pull sets, one for the Aylesbury line and one each for the Dunstable and Newport Pagnell lines. After nationalisation of the railways in 1948, the other stations at Aylesbury came under British Railways management as well as the Cheddington line station, and a distinction in names was considered necessary. The goods station was renamed Aylesbury High Street from 1 July 1950, and the passenger station was similarly renamed from 25 September the same year. ==Decline==

Throughout the twentieth century, the line had gradually lost business to more convenient railway routes; London could be reached direct by either of two other routes, and northward journeys were convenient by the Great Central Railway. In the winter of 1952-3 only four passenger trains ran each way on the branch, supplemented by one on Wednesdays and two on Saturdays. Except on Wednesdays and Saturdays the last train for Cheddington left Aylesbury at the early hour of 13:25 and made no London connection, for the branch had long ceased to be a useful route from Aylesbury to London. The line closed 2 February 1953 to passengers. It continued in use for goods traffic until 2 December 1963. ==Location list==

• Aylesbury; opened 10 June 1839; relocated 16 June 1889; renamed 1950; closed 2 February 1953; • ; opened November 1860 (first time in timetables); closed 2 February 1953; • ; main line station; opened 10 June 1839; still open. ==Notes==