Speaking at the Liberal Democrats’ party conference in Glasgow last week, Nick Clegg announced that a new line will be built to restore the rail link between the university cities of Oxford and Cambridge (the Varsity Line was shut in the 1960s).

The Deputy Prime Minister said that stations will be built at a small number of towns along the route that agree to build up to 15,000 new homes.

The only part of the route that is currently in use is the stretch between Bedford and Bletchley. Mr Clegg said that the new line will cut rail journey times between Oxford and Cambridge from 21/2hr to about 60min.