New light rail service could reconnect Wycombe and Maidenhead
9:31am Monday 10th August 2009 in News Exclusive By James Nadal
A NEW rail service in the mould of the Docklands Light Railway in London could reconnect Maidenhead and High Wycombe nearly four decades after the line was closed.
The Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead (RBWM) revealed to the Free Press it was looking at plans to restore the railway line between Bourne End and High Wycombe, which was shut in 1970.
It would re-establish the service from Maidenhead to High Wycombe which also ran through Cookham, Wooburn Green and Loudwater.
Improvements could be made to the existing Marlow line, allow passengers there to get directly to High Wycombe.
There could be a higher number of stop off points than the original service operating in similar fashion to a tram.
RBWM Councillor John Stretton, who represents the Cookham and Bisham ward, said: “This is very exciting and we are pushing as hard as we can to get it moved forward.
“It has so many advantages, if there was a dedicated service all the way to High Wycombe with a service every ten minutes or so the traffic would be taken off the road.
“You would have a high frequency which would service a lot of people. It would be very simple, easy and straight forward. It's not exorbitant in cost at all, considering all the benefits.”
He added the original railway line was always busy with commuters.
Chris Donnelly, political assistant to RBWM leader cllr David Burbage, said the council were “interested” in the project and although it was “looking at various options”, the ultra light rail option seemed the most attractive at this stage, following the success of the DLR in East London.
He said: “We recognise there's an issue with transport between Maidenhead and High Wycombe.
“Once we have seen all the options I'm going to put together a briefing paper on it and see what the best way to proceed is.”
He added: “We would like it as soon as possible if the numbers stack up.”
However, it could take four or five years to implement and it is an idea being considered rather than policy at the current time, Mr Donnelly said.
The Wycombe Society, which has been promoting the idea since 1994, welcomed RBWM's move.
The society's transport spokesman Dr Elsa Woodward said the old track is largely intact with its own tunnel under the M40.
The society believe it would require only 1200m of diversions where the original track has been built over, which is about 15 per cent of its length.
Dr Woodward produced a report on the idea and estimated motorists between Wycombe and the three Thames Valley towns of Slough, Maidenhead and Reading drove a daily total of 278,000 miles - equivalent to travelling 11 times round the world.
She used data from the 2001 census and statistics produced by WDC in September 2005 about commuter mileage.
She said there was currently no viable bus service between High Wycombe and Maidenhead.
“It's a vital missing link. There's huge traffic between Wycombe and the Thames Valley and there's no public transport if you want to get to a job on time there's really no alternative to the car.
“It's vital for the health of the area's economy.”
Dr Woodward added that ultra light rail is quiet, requires no overhead power supply and is extremely energy efficient.
There have been two studies examining the reinstatement commissioned by a Maidenhead businessman, Peter Prior, chairman of Summerleaze Ltd.
The preliminary investigation in June 2008 by Scott Wilson confirmed the feasibility.
A second carried out between November 2008 and February 2009 by Egis Mobilite included more detailed consideration of the necessary diversions.
Comments(25)
Punchy
says...
10:36am Mon 10 Aug 09
When were you going to mention that little point, poppet?
;-)
Save Wycombe
says...
10:40am Mon 10 Aug 09
Punchy wrote:Some might consider that a good thing!
Dr Woodward, you may want to let people know than when the bridge is rebuilt across London Road (near Pinions Road) then nothing higher than a transit van will be travelling along London Road ever again.
When were you going to mention that little point, poppet?
;-)
Punchy
says...
10:41am Mon 10 Aug 09
No conflict of interest there then ;-)
parcelman
says...
10:47am Mon 10 Aug 09
dave hampton
says...
10:56am Mon 10 Aug 09
It will no doubt be opposed by those stuck in the fossil past - but light rail is the future: economy and ecology-wise.
The link would connect HW etc to Great Western rail routes, and Maidenhead etc to Chiltern Line plus Virgin trains via Banbury... making our part of the world very well connected.
And Punchy, I don't have a transit van but I am glad they won't be affected atall. I don't know if what you say is true, maybe the line could be run slightly higher there?
Plus some local readers might prefer less freight on our A roads, no??
boups1984@hotmail.com
says...
11:30am Mon 10 Aug 09
It just needs to hurry up and be actioned!
JP80
says...
11:44am Mon 10 Aug 09
OllieNewbury
says...
11:48am Mon 10 Aug 09
DeepThinker
says...
12:26pm Mon 10 Aug 09
DeepThinker
says...
12:30pm Mon 10 Aug 09
Trains will probably run to Oxford again, and quite soon. Chiltern Railway have put in proposals to build a new link between the Oxford - Bicester line and the HW-Princes Risborough-Bicester line.
Not the shortest route, but better than the traffic jams and the awful park-n-ride.
Punchy
says...
12:47pm Mon 10 Aug 09
What do the traffic planners propose to do about all the lorries who will avoid the new bridge by cutting up Gordon Road, Bowerdean Road, Totteridge Road, Wingate Avenue, Hatters Lane and then back down to London Road again?
am i the only one
says...
1:23pm Mon 10 Aug 09
There are bus services running between High Wycombe and Maidenhead, and Wycombe to Marlow, if there was a demand for public transport surely there would be more of these. However, a frequent, reliable and comfortable service should attract much interest. There would need to be "park and ride" facilities at each terminus.
More thought and plans.
parcelman
says...
1:30pm Mon 10 Aug 09
dippy d
says...
2:04pm Mon 10 Aug 09
And wouldn't they need to build an extra platform at Wycombe station to accommodate the trains which will run from High Wycombe to Maidenhead. I say this because Chiltern Railways has increased its daily services to London and it would make it very congested and arriving and departing would be critical because it would have a change reaction of trains being delayed.
dippy d
says...
2:06pm Mon 10 Aug 09
Save Wycombe
says...
4:02pm Mon 10 Aug 09
Punchy wrote:Really, Punchy, these things are not insurmountable - where there is a will, there is a way! Perhaps you have a back garden near the line and don't fancy the trams running past?
We all need the facts before we buy into this.
What do the traffic planners propose to do about all the lorries who will avoid the new bridge by cutting up Gordon Road, Bowerdean Road, Totteridge Road, Wingate Avenue, Hatters Lane and then back down to London Road again?
OllieNewbury
says...
6:53pm Mon 10 Aug 09
The line would most probably use a third rail a la DLR, so no complaints over "unslightly overhead wires" can be made either!
J B Blackett
says...
8:25pm Mon 10 Aug 09
Looks like some politicians getting hold of an issue and YET AGAIN ignoring public opinion on another important matter.
Anyway early days . Not enough research and certainly no funding available in the current climate
A pipe dream ?
Let's hope something positive for the actual travelling public does really happen.
Punchy
says...
7:15am Tue 11 Aug 09
But, it will be one of the biggest financial commitments our local authorities have made in some time, and I want everyone to think it through.
I can well imagine taking my family on this service but will it be anything more than a novelty ride for the kids?
The reality is that you will arrive back at Wycombe station with bags of shopping and still need to get home, surely the car will remain the preferred choice for most?
This money is worth spending if it changes the travelling habits of our community for work and leisure purposes for ever. But it is not worth spending for an occasional fun day out in Maidenhead!
dave hampton
says...
1:49pm Tue 11 Aug 09
"We don't want to be railroaded into this , do we ?"
(He goes on...)
"Looks like some politicians getting hold of an issue and YET AGAIN ignoring public opinion on another important matter."
Well it doesn't look like that to me - all the 'public opinion' seems pretty positive to me?
fortune
says...
5:15pm Tue 11 Aug 09
dave hampton
says...
9:40pm Tue 11 Aug 09
All good points, but i don't recall people ever worrying about the technical difficulty of building vast motorways, the enormous costs of same, the huge maintenance costs, and the absence of any revenue!
As oil/petrol (and parking- and C-charge etc) prices rise, sharply, as they will, people will opt for light rail. They will be thankful that local govt had the wit and the vision to build a worthwhile (and energy efficient) legacy for future generations to use, as private cars start to look increasingly passe and anti-social.
Build it and people will come - roll up!
J B Blackett
says...
12:26am Wed 12 Aug 09
dave hampton wrote:Sorry Dave Hampton - perhaps I was sending out the wrong signals !
With thanks to J.B Blackett for the pun:
"We don't want to be railroaded into this , do we ?"
(He goes on...)
"Looks like some politicians getting hold of an issue and YET AGAIN ignoring public opinion on another important matter."
Well it doesn't look like that to me - all the 'public opinion' seems pretty positive to me?
.
I am in favour of this railway (which should never have closed and been effectively destroyed).
.
The point I was making was that the funding for the link's re-establishment and the detailed plans and preparatory work needed are much more extensive than the politicians will admit.
.
Fortune has made some reference to these factors as have 'am I the only one' , dippy d and Punchy.
.
And I can tell you I'll be chuffed to bits if it turns out to be a steam train on this line.
Regards
tom.marlow
says...
7:17pm Wed 12 Aug 09
You need to add to the revenue any savings from reducing road traffic - congestion, environmental damage, not having to build (or deferring) new roads, etc etc. This is less visible and harder to quantify but potentially a lot more than the direct revenue from fares.
.
I always assumed that commuters from Bourne End to London took the train from Bourne End to Maidenhead and on into Paddington. At least the one I know does (hows that for a big sample). In any case the couple of through trains each way are always full when I get them.
.
I think its a great idea
I
Low_Wycombe says...
10:25am Mon 10 Aug 09
Now a tram thing to Oxford would be cool...
S/W West-duty