Marston Vale Line

The Marston Vale Line is the railway line from Bletchley to Bedford (Network Rail route MD 140). It is the passenger-carrying remnant of the Oxford to Cambridge "Varsity Line". The line beyond Bletchley through Winslow to Bicester is closed.

Passenger services are operated by Silverlink using Class 150/1 diesel multiple units as the line is not electrified.

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 to re-open the line to passenger traffic from at least Bicester and ideally rebuild it from Oxford right through to Cambridge.

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). 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.

A further increase in service frequency seems likely if the National institute for research into aquatic habitats succeeds in its bid to build the world's largest freshwater aquarium in Stewartby.

External links

• Bletchley to Bedford Rail Users Association

Railway lines in Central England:
Main lines:	Cross-Country Route   Midland Main Line   West Coast Main Line  Birmingham-Peterborough via Leicester Line   Birmingham-Worcester via Bromsgrove Line    Birmingham-Worcester via Kidderminster Line   Cherwell Valley Line   Chiltern Main Line    London-Aylesbury Line   Trent Valley Line   Welsh Marches Line   Wolverhampton-Shrewsbury Line
Commuter lines:	Birmingham-Rugeley "Chase" Line   Birmingham-Stratford Line   Birmingham-Walsall Line    Coventry-Nuneaton Line   Cross-City Line   Leicester-Loughborough "Ivanhoe" Line    Northampton Loop Line   Robin Hood Line   Rugby-Birmingham-Stafford Line    Stourbridge Junction-Stourbridge Town Line   Walsall-Wolverhampton Line
Rural lines:	Cotswold Line   Crewe-Derby Line   Derwent Valley Line   Leamington-Stratford Line    Marston Vale Line   Nottingham-Lincoln Line   Nottingham to Grantham Line    Oxford-Bicester Line   Princes Risborough-Aylesbury Line   Shrewsbury-Chester Line