THE WORLD’S FIRST COUNTRY BRANCH LINE

RMT helpline 0800 376 3706 :: september 2019 :: RMTnews 24 Opened June 10 1839 it was the world's first country branch line. The seven-mile line ran between Aylesbury High Street Station to Cheddington, with an intermediate stop at Marston Gate Station. At Cheddington passengers could then proceed onto the London to Birmingham main line which had opened fully in September 1838. Services to London took just over two hours, before the railway horse drawn coach would take more than half a day to reach the capital. Passenger rail service ran until January 31 1953 with freight services lasting til December 1963. There is little evidence of branch line existing only at Marston Gate Station the old station building is private home now called "Beeching House" and Cheddington part of the old platform and cottages next to the old goods yard which is the car park now. On exactly 180 years to the day. We celebrated the opening of the line with full support and help of my company West Midlands Trains and local railway historian Alan Vessey and opened the ticket hall in the early morning and early evening. We talked to passengers and a group of pupils from Cheddington Combined School who had made us art work of a passenger train and the surrounding countryside, supplying them all with information, fresh orange juice and a snack! (right) The Cheddington to Aylesbury Line, sometimes referred as the Aylesbury Railway was a railway line between the village of Cheddington and the major town of Aylesbury. The line had one intermediate station at Marston Gate and four level crossings – one at Park Street, one at Broughton and one at Marston Gate. The line formed a junction with the LNWR mainline at Cheddington. The terminus at Aylesbury was in the High Street and made no connection to the other railways in Aylesbury. The line was completed in 1839. The Aylesbury Railway was independent, but was operated by the London and Birmingham Railway, (later the London and North Western Railway (LNWR)). A few years later it was absorbed fully into the LNWR, and the line is regarded as the world's first branch railway line. Until the late 19th century, the line was heavily used for the transportation of the famous Aylesbury duck from Aylesbury to London markets. THE WORLD’S FIRST COUNTRY BRANCH LINE Marc Davis Senior Conductor at Watford celebrates the Cheddington to Aylesbury Line