"Joe" wrote:

Adrian Auer-Hudson wrote:
The diversion through Aylesbury is not an elegant solution. Wouldn't
it be great if there was an alternative?

I think it is, Aylesbury hasn't had such a good train service in years!


When GX is re-opened, the Chiltern service from Marylebone to
Birmingham will revert to the original route. But is that really such
a bad thing for Aylesbury?

I have often used Chiltern to get from Aylesbury to Banbury,
Leamington Spa, Solihull and Birmingham Snow Hill and the interchange
at Princes Risborough is pretty easy. The Aylesbury - Princes
Risborough shuttle offers several good connections into Birmingham-
bound services through each day.

Yes, it's even better now, but it was pretty good before and will be
again. It certainly isn't worth spending many tens of millions of
pounds on re-opening an old route that will be loss-making from the
start and continue to swallow taxpayers' money for the foreseeable
future, just to save a few minutes and one change of train.

Who cares if it is "elegant"? It needs to be efficient and cost
effective. If elegance comes only at a price that is impracticable,
it really isn't worth having.