Editing Chiltern Main Line (section)

{{Short description|British railway line}}
{{Use British English|date=May 2013}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=July 2024}}
{{Infobox rail line
|box_width   = 30em
|name        = Chiltern Main Line
|color       =
|logo        =
|logo_width  =
|image       = 68010 Chiltern Railways Hatton Bank 19-08-15 (20628237900).jpg
|image_width = 321px
|caption     = A Chiltern Railways London to Birmingham express near [[Hatton railway station (England)|Hatton]], hauled by a Class 68 diesel locomotive.
|type        = [[Commuter rail]], [[Heavy rail]]
|system      = [[National Rail]]
|status      = Operational
|locale      = {{ubl|[[Greater London]]|[[South East England]]|[[East Midlands]]|[[West Midlands (county)|West Midlands]]}}
|start       = [[Marylebone station|London Marylebone]]
|end         = {{rws|Birmingham Snow Hill}}
|stations    = 32
|routes      =
|daily_ridership =
|open        = 1910 (complete line)
|close       =
|owner       = [[Network Rail]]
|operator    = {{ubl|[[Chiltern Railways]]|[[West Midlands Trains]] (in part)|[[CrossCountry]] (in part)|[[Great Western Railway (train operating company)|GWR]] (in part)}}
|character   =
|depot       =
|stock       = {{ubl|{{brc|68}} & [[British Rail Mark 3|Mk 3 Coaches]]|[[Driving Van Trailer|DVT Mk 3]]|[[British Rail Class 153|Class 153 ''Sprinter'']]|[[British Rail Class 165|Class 165 ''Network Turbo'']]|[[British Rail Class 168|Class 168 ''Clubman'']]|[[British Rail Class 170|Class 170 ''Turbostar'']]|[[British Rail Class 172|Class 172 ''Turbostar'']]|[[British Rail Class 220|Class 220 ''Voyager'']]|[[British Rail Class 221|Class 221 ''Super Voyager'']]}}
|linelength  = {{convert|112|mi|4|chain|km|0|abbr=on}}
|tracklength =
|tracks      = 2
|gauge       = {{track gauge|uksg|allk=on}}
|speed       = {{convert|100|mph|km/h|abbr=on}} maximum
|map         = [[File:Chiltern Main Line.png|321px]]<br>([[:commons:File:Chiltern Main Line.png|Click to expand]])
|map_state   = uncollapsed
}}
{{Chiltern Main Line|collapse=y}}
The '''Chiltern Main Line''' is a [[railway]] line which links [[London]] ({{stn|Marylebone}}) and [[Birmingham]] ([[Birmingham Moor Street railway station|Moor Street]] and [[Birmingham Snow Hill railway station|Snow Hill]]) on a {{convert|112|mi|km|adj=on}} route via [[High Wycombe]], [[Bicester]], [[Banbury]], [[Leamington Spa]] and [[Solihull]] in England.

It is currently one of two main line railway routes between London and Birmingham; the other is the [[West Coast Main Line]] between [[Euston railway station|London Euston]] and {{rws|Birmingham New Street}}, which is the principal [[Inter-city rail|inter-city]] route between the two cities. A third main line, [[High Speed 2]], is currently under construction.

The name ''Chiltern Line'' was invented as a marketing name for the line by [[Network SouthEast]] in 1985,<ref>{{cite web|title=NSE CHRONOLOGY Jan 1982 to May 1986 |url=http://www.networksoutheast.net/jan-1982-to-may-1986.html |publisher=Network SouthEast Railway Society |access-date=22 April 2014 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131104151947/http://www.networksoutheast.net/jan-1982-to-may-1986.html |archive-date=4 November 2013 }}</ref> with reference to the [[Chiltern Hills]] that the route passes through near its southern end. The route was originally part of the [[Great Western Railway]]'s main line from [[Paddington railway station|London Paddington]] to [[Birmingham Snow Hill railway station|Birmingham Snow Hill]], {{rws|Wolverhampton Low Level}} and {{rws|Birkenhead Woodside}}. Most main line services between London and Birmingham on this route were discontinued in 1967  after the West Coast Main Line was electrified, and Snow Hill station was closed.<ref name=warwickshirerailwayssnowhill>{{cite web |title=Birmingham Snow Hill Station – A brief overview |url=http://www.warwickshirerailways.com/gwr/birminghamsnowhill.htm |publisher=Warwickshire Railways |access-date=5 June 2016}}</ref> 

Services were resumed between London and the reopened Snow Hill in 1993; however, they were routed into Marylebone, formerly the London terminus of the now-closed [[Great Central Main Line]], instead of the historic terminus at Paddington.<ref name="NSE1993">{{cite web |title=The History of Network South East 1993 |url=http://www.networksoutheast.net/jan-1993-to-dec-1993.html |publisher=Network South East Railway Society |access-date=5 June 2016 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131103135422/http://www.networksoutheast.net/jan-1993-to-dec-1993.html |archive-date=3 November 2013 }}</ref>

Since the [[privatisation of British Rail]] in the 1990s, the main [[Train operating company|operator]] has been [[Chiltern Railways]], which has continued to develop the route and services. In the early 2010s, the line [[#Project Evergreen 3|underwent a major upgrade]] which saw much of the line cleared for 100&nbsp;mph (160&nbsp;km/h) running, resulting in significant reductions in journey times from 2013. The line is not [[Railway electrification in Great Britain|electrified]], although electrification is an aspiration.<ref name="shooter"/>

The line forms part of the [[Urban rail in the United Kingdom|suburban rail networks]] in both cities. The majority of towns towards the London end of the route are prosperous suburbs or commuter-belt towns, such as [[Ruislip]], [[Gerrards Cross]] and [[Beaconsfield]]; these have a journey time of 30 minutes or less to London Marylebone. In the [[West Midlands (region)|West Midlands]], it is one of the [[Snow Hill Lines]]. Commuter trains operated by [[West Midlands Trains]] run between Birmingham Snow Hill, {{rws|Solihull}} and {{rws|Leamington Spa}}, also to [[Stratford-upon-Avon railway station|Stratford-upon-Avon]].