Looking eastwards along the remains of the SM & J

trackbed between Roade and Ravenstone. The line was a single-track at this point and it's hard to believe that it was used for heavily loaded freight trains right up to its closure in June 1958. This line was yet another example of an east-west link of which there were many in past times. Between London and Birmingham the only remaining line that links between the Great Western and the Midland is the yet to be reopened (if ever?) Varsity and Marston Vale line. Do we rue the day that all these lines were closed given the difficulties that we have today with the dearth of cross-country links?