TheOneKEA wrote:

THC wrote:
Chiltern's franchise was renewed for a 20-year term in February 2002
when the late great Sir Alastair Morton was in charge at the SRA - they
were the only company to secure one of that length and so are sitting
pretty for some time to come. There may have been a five-year break
clause but I recall reading that this is conditional only on poor
performance, therefore unlikely to be invoked.

Indeed. Chiltern's longevity in the reliability department is matched,
AFAIK, only by c2c.


I also remember that the heads of agreement for this particular
refranchise contained proposals for an M1/M6 parkway and a reopened
portion of the Great Central to serve it. And a new/relaid line from
Princes Risborough to Oxford. That kind of vision in a franchise bid
seems so far away now.

The former is still a possibility, unless the GCML is transformed into
the NSHSL. The latter will never happen, as it would require too many
disruptive alterations to the M40 at Junction 8.

Why would it require any at all? Surely it could just bridge it?

--
Aidan Stanger
http://www.bettercrossrail.co.uk