In 1841 the Great Western Railway, under the direction of Isambard Kingdom Brunel, opened its main line all the way between London and Bristol. Abingdon had the first branch line to be built in the area and, although having a route length of just 2 and a half miles and a journey time of only 10 minutes between Abingdon and Radley it managed to survive for 128 years. Sadly, as motorised transport became more accessible, lines began to close, first to passengers and then to freight.

In this well researched book, Terry Moors brings to life the county's railways and describes the reasons for their construction and for their subsequent closure. Modern photographs accompany those from earlier times, some previously unpublished.