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Former 
The Marston Vale Line (Network Rail route MD 140) is the railway line from Bletchley to Bedford in England. History The previous Bedford Midland station was built by the Midland Railway in 1859 originally on its line to join the Great Northern at Hitchin Varsity Line (or Oxford to Cambridge Line) is an informal name for the Railway service which formerly linked the English university cities of Oxford The Midland Main Line is a major railway line in the United Kingdom, part of the British railway system. Bedford is the County town of Bedfordshire, England. It is a large town and the administrative centre for the Bedford borough England is a Country which is part of the United Kingdom. Its inhabitants account for more than 83% of the total UK population whilst its mainland It is one of two passenger-carrying remnants of the Oxford to Cambridge "Varsity Line". Oxford is currently bidding for the 2010 Wikimania Conference Oxford () is a city, and the County town of Oxfordshire, The city of Cambridge (ˈkeɪmbrɪdʒ is a university town and the administrative centre of the county of Cambridgeshire, England Varsity Line (or Oxford to Cambridge Line) is an informal name for the Railway service which formerly linked the English university cities of Oxford
It was designated by the Department for Transport as a community rail line in November 2006. In the United Kingdom, the Department for Transport (or DfT) ( Welsh: Adran am Drafnidiaeth) is the government department A community rail line is a local railway which is specially supported by local organisations
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Operations
As the line is not electrified diesel traction is used on this route. Railway electrification in Great Britain describes the past and present electrification systems used to supply traction current to railways and tramways in Great Britain
Silverlink (1996 to 2007)
Silverlink operated the link from privatisation in 1996 until the franchise renewal in 2007. Silverlink Train Services Ltd was a Train operating company in the United Kingdom. Silverlink Train Services Ltd was a Train operating company in the United Kingdom. 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. A diesel multiple unit or DMU is a Multiple unit train consisting of multiple carriages powered by one or more on-board Diesel The British Rail Class 117 Diesel multiple units were built by Pressed Steel from 1960 to 1961 Sixteen Class 121 single-car driving motor vehicles were built from 1960 numbered 55020-55035 The British Rail Class 150 "Sprinter" Diesel multiple units (DMUs were built by BREL from 1984 - 87. Central Trains was a Train operating company in the United Kingdom, running local and long-distance services in central England.
London Midland (From November 2007)
Passenger services are operated by London Midland, using Class 150/1 diesel multiple units. London Midland is a Train operating company in the United Kingdom. London Midland is a Train operating company in the United Kingdom. The British Rail Class 150 "Sprinter" Diesel multiple units (DMUs were built by BREL from 1984 - 87. A diesel multiple unit or DMU is a Multiple unit train consisting of multiple carriages powered by one or more on-board Diesel It is planned that operation of the line will be switched to use of Class 153 single-car trains once train-crew training is complete. The British Rail Class 153 " Sprinter " is a single-car Diesel multiple unit train
Places Served
The towns and villages served by the line are as follows:
- Bletchley
- Fenny Stratford
- Bow Brickhill, Caldecotte, Tilbrook and Walton
- Woburn Sands, Wavendon
- Aspley Guise
- Ridgmont
- Lidlington
- Millbrook
- Stewartby
- Kempston Hardwick
- Bedford St Johns
- Bedford (Midland)
Re-opening campaign
There is a campaign ("The East-West Link") to re-instate the Oxford-Cambridge "Varsity Line", of which the Marston Vale Line is one of the last remaining parts still in use. Fenny Stratford is a constituent Town of Milton Keynes, ceremonial Buckinghamshire, England and in the Civil Parish of Bletchley Bow Brickhill is a Village and Civil parish in the Borough of Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire, England. Walton (historically was a hamlet that is now a district and Civil parish in Milton Keynes, ceremonial Buckinghamshire, England The historic Wavendon is a Village and Civil parish in the south east of the Borough of Milton Keynes and ceremonial Buckinghamshire, England. Aspley Guise is a village in Mid- Bedfordshire, England. It is just over the county border from Woburn Sands in the Borough of Milton Keynes. Ridgmont is a small village and Civil parish in Bedfordshire, England. Lidlington is a small Mid Bedfordshire village surrounded by farmland in the Marston Vale situated between the main A421 Bedford to Milton Millbrook is a small village near Bedford. It has a population of around 150 Stewartby is a Model village and Civil parish in Bedfordshire, originally built for the workers in of The London Brick Company. Kempston Hardwick is a small village near the town of Kempston in Bedfordshire. Bedford is the County town of Bedfordshire, England. It is a large town and the administrative centre for the Bedford borough Bedford St Johns railway station is one of the two Railway stations that serve the town of Bedford in Bedfordshire. Bedford is the County town of Bedfordshire, England. It is a large town and the administrative centre for the Bedford borough History The previous Bedford Midland station was built by the Midland Railway in 1859 originally on its line to join the Great Northern at Hitchin Varsity Line (or Oxford to Cambridge Line) is an informal name for the Railway service which formerly linked the English university cities of Oxford [1] The campaign's current work concentrates on the section between Bletchley and Oxford. The present status of the line is: from Oxford to Bicester, it is open and in use; from Bicester through Winslow to Bletchley, it is closed but could be reinstated; from Bletchley to Bedford, it is open and in use; and from Bedford to Cambridge, the line has been built over. Bicester ( IPA /ˈbɪstɚ/ is a town in the Cherwell district of north-eastern Oxfordshire in England. Winslow is a small Market town and also a Civil parish designated as a Town council within Aylesbury Vale district in north Buckinghamshire (see main article for details).
Extension to Milton Keynes Central
In June 2005, Silverlink announced their intent to extend their service to Milton Keynes Central in 2007 (via the West Coast Main Line), when a new platform with associated track is to be built there (alongside the slow mainline "up" track, mirroring the present arrangement for the "down" side). Year 2005 ( MMV) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Milton Keynes Central is a Railway station that serves the central area of Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire The West Coast Main Line (WCML is a busy mixed-traffic railway route in the United Kingdom. On 4 December 2006, work began at Milton Keynes Central to prepare for a service connection from the Marston Vale line, with completion scheduled for December 2008. [2][3]
A further increase in service frequency seems likely if the National institute for research into aquatic habitats [4] succeeds in its bid [5] to build the world's largest freshwater aquarium in Stewartby. The National institute for research into aquatic habitats (Nirah is a proposed Fresh water Aquarium in Stewartby, Stewartby is a Model village and Civil parish in Bedfordshire, originally built for the workers in of The London Brick Company. Additionally, in 2008 Marston Vale made the shortlist of 15 potential locations for the building of 10 new "eco towns" in England. If this goes ahead, it will involve the construction of 15,000 new homes in the vale, in addition to the several thousand already authorised.
References
- ^ http://www.eastwestrail.org.uk/reports/documents/GRIPStage2Report.pdf 5. 1 p38
- ^ Transport Briefing — UK transport news, data and jobs
- ^ http://www.mk-news.co.uk/news/milton%20keynes/2006/dec/6/new%20rail%20platform%20on%20time%20for%202008.lpf
- ^ NIRAH
- ^ BBC NEWS | UK | England | Beds/Bucks/Herts | Government backs aquarium project
External links
- Marston Vale Community Rail Partnership
- Bletchley to Bedford Rail Users Association
- East West Rail Link consortium
- East West Rail Link support group
- East West Rail Link petition
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