The railway route between Oxford and Cambridge - nicknamed the Varsity
Line - was opened in stages in the nineteenth century. Running roughly
east to west, it crossed several major trunk routes linking London with
the North and Midlands, and became part of the LMS in 1923 Railway
Grouping. Its strategic value was recognised during the Second World War
as it allowed freight traffic to avoid London and several new
connections to the line were built. Despite post-war plans to develop
the line further, parts of the line were closed by BR in the 1960s.
Since then, rising demand on the railways in general and recognition of
the value of this through route have resulted in sections being reopened
and a new company, East West Rail, has been founded to re-establish the
entire line by 2030, linking Oxford, Bicester, Bletchley/Milton Keynes,
Bedford and Cambridge, and also as a potential feeder route for HS2.
This book surveys the history of this route and its operations, and
looks at the campaign and plans to open it again, analysing both the
benefits and downsides of such a large rail project today.
