Imagine boarding a London Underground train for a day trip that ends an incredible 50 miles from the city centre. This wasn't always a fantasy; for nearly a century, it was a reality thanks to a remote station called Verney Junction.
The Metropolitan Line's Country Ambition
The London Underground's reach today is vast, but it once stretched even further into the British countryside. The most extreme example was Verney Junction in Buckinghamshire. This isolated station was a staggering 50 miles from Central London, making it twice as far out as Chesham, which currently holds the title for the network's most distant station.
Verney Junction first opened in 1868 as part of the railway line connecting Oxford and Cambridge, later known as the Varsity Line. It was born from the Aylesbury and Buckingham Railway, which was subsequently taken over by the Metropolitan Railway, the precursor to the modern Metropolitan line on the Tube map.
A Century of Service and Decline
The Metropolitan Railway had grand ambitions, seeing itself as a mainline competitor rather than just a commuter service. It expanded aggressively from its Baker Street hub during the 1870s and 1880s. By 1899, its tracks had reached both Verney Junction and Brill in Buckinghamshire, over 80km from its London origin.
The station's fortunes shifted during the 20th century. It played a crucial logistical role in both World Wars, with a significant amount of freight passing through its transfer sidings. However, peacetime brought a steady decline. The passenger lines south to Aylesbury were shut down in 1936, and the connection to Buckingham followed in 1964.
Despite these setbacks, Verney Junction clung on until the Oxford to Cambridge line closed to passengers in 1968. The station was fully closed that same year. For a hundred years, it had served as a vital local interchange, even enabling journeys as far as Ramsgate—a considerable expedition for Londoners of the era.
The Legacy and Future of the Line
Due to its profoundly remote location, there are no plans to reopen Verney Junction itself. However, the story of this forgotten route is not entirely over. As part of the East West Rail strategy, designed to improve transport connections between East Anglia and South Wales, the line between Oxford and Bletchley is scheduled to be reopened in 2025.
While Verney Junction station may be lost to time, its history stands as a testament to the London Underground's surprisingly expansive and ambitious past, a time when the Tube truly reached into the heart of the English countryside.
