Chiltern Railways is a Train Operating Company running stopping trains between
London Marylebone and Birmingham, through the Chiltern Hills. The route is
reasonably scenic for the south-east of England, which is just as well, as the
commuter-style trains are considerably slower than Virgin Trains' express services
to Birmingham New Street from Euston. The company's bold Mission Statement is
'To be the best passenger railway in the UK'. As long as the Island Line exists,
this is unlikely to be fulfilled. The company is owned by construction business the
John Laing Group, which also has interests in the Docklands Light Railway,
Midland Metro, and Brisbane's Airtrain in Queensland.
Chiltern Railways operate 34 sets of class 165 diesel multiple units, and 13
new class 168 'Clubman' sets. the class 165 sets are presently being
refurbished. The track section from Princes Risborough to Bicester North was
made double track in 1998, thus bringing provision up to the standard of most
other commuter lines. Chiltern trains operate through the zones of validity of both
London Underground's Travelcard and the West Midlands-based Centrocard,
which allow unlimited travel within the appropriate areas. Services from Birmingham
Snow Hill to Kidderminster and South Ruislip to London Paddington are
restricted. On the following map, north-west is at the top.
Kidderminster
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Stourbridge Junction
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Cradley Heath
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Rowley Regis
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Smethwick
Galton Bridge
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The Hawthorns
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Jewellery Quarter
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Birmingham Snow Hill
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Birmingham Moor Street
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Small Heath
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Tyseley
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Acocks Green
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Olton
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Solihull
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Widney Manor
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Dorridge
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Lapworth
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Hatton
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Warwick Parkway
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Warwick
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Leamington Spa
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Banbury
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Kings Sutton
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Bicester North
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Haddenham and Thame Parkway
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| /-Monks Risborough--Little Kimble-\
|/ \
| \
Princes Risborough Aylesbury
| /
Saunderton /
| /
High Wycombe Stoke Mandeville
| /
Beaconsfield /
| Wendover
Seer Green and Jordans /
| /
Gerrards Cross Great Missenden
| /
Denham Golf Club /
| Amersham
Denham /
| /
West Ruislip Chalfont and Latimer
| /
South Ruislip /
/| Chorleywood
/ | /
/ Northolt Park /
/ | Rickmansworth
/ Sudbury Hill /
| Harrow /
| | Harrow-on-the-Hill
| Sudbury and /
| Harrow Road /
| | /
| Wembley /
| Stadium /
| | /
| \ /
| \ /
| \ /
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London London
Paddington Marylebone
The line is concurrent with the London Underground Metropolitan Line from
before Harrow-on-the-Hill to Amersham. Connections at Chalfont and Latimer for
Chesham on the Metropolitan, the most far-flung of all Underground stations; at
West and South Ruislip to the Central Line; at Marylebone and
Paddington for the Bakerloo Line; and at Paddington for the Circle, District and Hammersmith and City Line.
National Rail connections to the Heathrow Express and First Great Western
at Paddington; to Virgin Trains at Paddington, Banbury, Leamington Spa and
Solihull; to Thames Trains at Paddington, Kings Sutton, Banbury,
Leamington Spa, Warwick and Hatton; to Central Trains at all stations from
Leamington Spa to Kidderminster except Warwick Parkway; to Midland Metro at
Birmingham Snow Hill, Jewellery Quarter and The Hawthorns; and to the
preserved Severn Valley Railway at Kidderminster.
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