[1] The line was built as a single track broad gauge branch of the Wycombe Railway in 1863.

The line is regularly used by freight services operated by DB Cargo UK and Freightliner.

For this purpose, during Chiltern Railways' Evergreen 2 project the line was resignalled with two new signals at Little Kimble, one for each direction of travel.

The current timetable, produced for December 2019, offers one passenger service per hour in each direction, with services outside the weekday morning and evening peaks operating directly between Aylesbury and London Marylebone.

[2] In peak periods a shuttle service operates between Aylesbury and Princes Risborough, with a change onto connecting services needed at Princes Risborough for onward travel towards London.