Chiltern We are hoping to persuade Chiltern Railways to provide a speaker for our February branch meeting to explain more details of their successful retention of the franchise. While welcoming the decision by the Strategic Rail Authority, we are worried that Aylesbury-Milton Keynes, Oxford-Risborough and Aylesbury-Rugby are not sufficiently firmed up. We are also disappointed that the idea of a Chiltern Metro has not been adopted.
Thames Trains We are lobbying to ensure that the Thames Trains re-franchising process includes provision for Oxford-Milton Keynes services, a reopened Witney line and a new station at Grove, Oxford-Gatwick trains and Cotswold line halts. Unhappily, the SRA has refused grants for new stations at Grove and Kidlington, but demand studies costing £40,000 are to be carried out. The county council, West Oxford Council and Railtrack have also funded a study to examine possible barriers in the way of reopening Oxford to Witney. There is also to be a bid for Rail Passenger Partnership funding to increase the length of platform at Combe, Finstock, Ascott and Shipton, on the Cotswold line.
Silverlink A speaker from Silverlink was due to address the branch at 14.00 on 25 November at St Mary’s Church Hall, Bletchley. Wolverton Rail Users Group, which received a start-up grant from RDS, has developed an action list which it has presented to Silverlink.
Fear of more trains at Bow Brickhill (on the Bedford-Bletchley line) has prompted a meeting of concerned residents. We are amazed at the reaction.
After 13 months of appeals, Railtrack has agreed to provide a shelter at Haddenham station.
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