Banbury to Verney Junction Branch Line
| Locale | Bucks, Northants and Oxon, England |
|---|---|
| Dates of operation | 1850–1966 |
| Track gauge | 4 ft 8 1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) |
| Length | 21.25 miles (34.20 km) |
The Banbury to Verney Junction branch line was a railway branch line constructed by the Buckinghamshire Railway which connected the Oxfordshire market town of Banbury with the Buckinghamshire town of Bletchley via the historic county town of Buckingham and the Northamptonshire town of Brackley, a distance of 21.25 miles (34.20 km).
The line was promoted by the Buckinghamshire Railway which was formed in 1847 to construct two routes: one from Bletchley to Oxford, later known as the Varsity Line, and another to Banbury. The line to Banbury was opened in May 1850 and the Oxford section followed in October of the same year. The line was worked by the London and North Western Railway, which absorbed the Buckinghamshire Railway in 1879. In 1923, the London and North Western became a constituent of the London, Midland and Scottish Railway at the Grouping. The line became part of British Railways upon nationalisation on 1 January 1948. Increasing competition from motor transport and dwindling receipts after the Second World War led to the line being chosen in 1956 for an experiment with British Rail Derby Lightweight diesel multiple units in an attempt to stem the losses. Although the units were well-patronised, the deficit was not reduced sufficiently to justify keeping the line open. The section between Banbury and Buckingham closed on 2 January 1961, with the section Buckingham-Verney Jn abandoned on 5 December 1966. None of the station buildings have survived, although some sections of the line are now public footpaths.
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