The Chiltern Main Line is an inter-urban, regional and commuter railway, part of the British railway system. It links London and Birmingham on a 112-mile route via the towns of High Wycombe, Banbury, and Leamington Spa. The West Coast Main Line is the main InterCity route between London and Birmingham, but the Chiltern Main Line complements it by providing an additional link between England's two largest cities.
In addition to services between the two cities, the Chiltern Main Line forms part of the suburban rail networks in both cities. The majority of towns on the London half of the branch are prosperous suburbs, or commuter belt towns, such as Ruislip, Gerrards Cross and Beaconsfield. Such towns have a sub 30 minute commute to London Marylebone.
The line is currently undergoing a major upgrade which will see significant reductions in journey times by 2013 (see here). It is not electrified, although electrification is a future aspiration. Currently, the main operator on the route is Chiltern Railways.
Read more about Chiltern Main Line: History, Route Description and Line Speeds
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