From Watford Observer, Friday, March 11, 2005

Greater say on trains

TRAIN users will be invited to have more input in the running of the
Abbey Line rail route thanks to a plan aimed at safeguarding local rail
lines.
As part of the Strategic Rail Authority's (SRA) community rail
development Strategy, the Abbey Line, which runs between Watford
Junction and St Albans, could become one of the first in the country to
be officially designated as a community rail line.
The proposed long-term benefits include increased train frequency,
branded rolling stock and station adoption schemes.
Published last year by the SRA, the community rail development
strategy looks at innovative new ways of operating local branch lines.
It aims to increase passenger numbers through direct community
involvement in marketing and promotion and through local input into
timetable development.
Chris Austin, the SRA's executive director for community rail
development said: "The aim of the strategy is to secure the future of
these local lines by putting them on a more sustainable footing."
Discussions about the plan are underway with Hertfordshire County
Council, Silverlink, line user group Abfly, and local councils.
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John Burke
WRUG