Reopening The Chinnor and Princes Risborough Railway Association was formed around August 1989. On 19 May 1991, the first traina works train headed by a
0-4-0 Baguley dieselran from Chinnor. It began to operate passenger trains between Chinnor and the site of the former
Wainhill Halt (about 1 km NE of Chinnor) in August 1994. In 1995, the route was extended by about 3 km to Horsenden Lane, and then to the old rail connection that led trains to
Oxford now known as Thame Junction in 1996. This would allow passengers to connect from
Chiltern Railways services on the
Chiltern Main Line. Previously, the line was reconnected at a point just yards from the head shunt at Thame Junction for special events to allow trains to run into Princes Risborough station: in October 2013, the line was reconnected for the first 3 weekends for the Railway's "Haversham & Friends" celebrations, and the first through-train for 57 years, a rail tour from Aylesbury via Princes Risborough, ran on 5 October 2013. On 21 February 2016, a small team of volunteers used a road-rail vehicle to install a track panel in place of a Network Rail buffer stop to reinstate the physical connection to Princes Risborough; the following day, official boundary gates and safety signage were installed, making the line operational. With the extension in place, the line is in length. The link was used for the first time by a visiting locomotive as part of the diesel gala held on 4/5 June 2016;
DB Cargo Class 66 66185 hauled
3-CEP 411198 on the 0950 from Chinnor. A test run with a single-car DMU was operated on 25 June with the train running into Princes Risborough's temporary platform 4, followed a week later by a
Class 17 working and then a steam-run on 10 July. The first full public service carrying VIP guests to Risborough ran on 23 July, hauled by
D3018 Haversham with the return journey worked by
GWR 0-6-0PT 5786 (L.92). The Chinnor and Princes Risborough Railway held an official opening ceremony of the Platform on 15 August 2018. A purpose built Maintenance and Education centre at a site some 200 yards south of Chinnor station has been opened. In July 2025 the railway opened a newly constructed independent line which will allow trains to run into Princes Risborough without having to use the Network Rail-owned line.
Future projects Extending the line to the southwest from Chinnor towards near the
A40, taking its total length to . ==On-screen appearances==