Gerrards Cross update 5/7/05
 

The diversion through Aylesbury is not an elegant solution. Wouldn't
it be great if there was an alternative?

Aylesbury through Verney Junction and Buckingham to Banbury would be so
useful right now.

As for Central Railway or the Great Central based HSL, Leicester
through Rugby, Woodford, Banbury and High Wycombe to London would be a
great route. Banbury would work well as interchange with local
traffic.

One can't imagine how the passenger feels, having reached Princess
Risborough to be going backward to Aylesbury. I guess as long as the
UK has politicians she will have a bizarre railway system.

Adrian, webmaster http://www.LosAngelesMetro.net
HOLLYWOOD, CA

Gerrards Cross update 5/7/05
 

"Adrian Auer-Hudson" wrote:


The diversion through Aylesbury is not an elegant solution. Wouldn't
it be great if there was an alternative?

Aylesbury through Verney Junction and Buckingham to Banbury would be so
useful right now.

As for Central Railway or the Great Central based HSL, Leicester
through Rugby, Woodford, Banbury and High Wycombe to London would be a
great route. Banbury would work well as interchange with local
traffic.

One can't imagine how the passenger feels, having reached Princess
Risborough to be going backward to Aylesbury. I guess as long as the
UK has politicians she will have a bizarre railway system.


And as long as the US has politicians it will have an almost total
absence of passenger railroads.

It beggars belief that someone from the land of the gas guzzling
automobile, and especially from the home of permanent smog, should
have the temerity to criticise any European railway system.

;-)

Gerrards Cross update 5/7/05
 

Actually Tony, I am from Aylesbury. And I do not think the politicians
here in the US are above criticism. When it comes to railroads, the
word clueless comes to mind.

The word 'system' would be hard to apply to most of the passenger
railroads in the United States.

Nevertheless having grown up near a town (Aylesbury) with fine rail
links both north and south. Said routes having the potential for
development into a fine network, you will understand my disappointment
at the leftovers that Aylesbury has for it rail link today.

This is particularly strange in so far as Aylesbury was part of an area
that was expected to see, and did see, expanded housing and employment
as companies and individual were encouraged to relocate away from
London in the 1960s and 1970s.

Aylesbury never did gain a motorway connection, for which I am
grateful. However, it lost a fine mainline to the north. It lost the
fast service to London. It lost its link to the WCML at Cheddington
and all local service going north. All tat remains are the stopping
DMU services to London.

A couple of years back I recall one lady politician at Westminster
refer to "Arrangements in Breweries". My first thought in response was
"She would know, wouldn't she".

For some years now Tony, I have been part of a successful campaign for
rail expansion here in Los Angeles County, see
http://www.friends4expo.org/ It has been a long slog. But we are
making progress and doing so in a metropolis that loves cars and
freeways.

:-) Have a nice evening

Adrian.
HOLLYWOOD, CA

Gerrards Cross update 5/7/05
 

In message .com,
Adrian Auer-Hudson writes
One can't imagine how the passenger feels, having reached Princess
Risborough to be going backward to Aylesbury.
They probably feel as I did when I last had to do that during
engineering works, in order to get back to Birmingham: grateful that
there was a through rail service at all at that time and that there
wasn't a replacement bus for part of the journey.

I guess as long as the UK has politicians she will have a bizarre
railway system.
True up to a point. However, Chiltern nor politicians can truly be
blamed for the circumstances which have caused the Gerrard's Cross
closure. Keeping the route open to Banbury via Verney Junction would
indeed have been useful now but can hardly have been justified *solely*
in case of a closure on one part of the line as now. To do that, every
section of track would require a diversionary alternative.
--
Ian Jelf, MITG
Birmingham, UK

Registered Blue Badge Tourist Guide for London and the Heart of England
http://www.bluebadge.demon.co.uk

Gerrards Cross update 5/7/05....Transport in Aylesbury
 

Aylesbury does still have good if bloody expensive rail connections with
Chiltern, there are plans for an Aylesbury North station to be built
along with a big housing development, what we really need are links west
to east, connecting us with Oxford, MK, and Cambridge now that would be
fantastic, with the planned expansion of the town with Mad Uncle
Prescotts lets cover the entire south east with homes idea, the amount
of traffic is going to go through the roof, parts of the town are
already a pollution hotspot! to have this rail link, along with a bypass
would hopefully sort out some of the chaos that we have now, oh and
don't get me started on Arriva busses (bunch of crooks).





Adrian Auer-Hudson wrote:
Actually Tony, I am from Aylesbury. And I do not think the politicians
here in the US are above criticism. When it comes to railroads, the
word clueless comes to mind.

The word 'system' would be hard to apply to most of the passenger
railroads in the United States.

Nevertheless having grown up near a town (Aylesbury) with fine rail
links both north and south. Said routes having the potential for
development into a fine network, you will understand my disappointment
at the leftovers that Aylesbury has for it rail link today.

This is particularly strange in so far as Aylesbury was part of an area
that was expected to see, and did see, expanded housing and employment
as companies and individual were encouraged to relocate away from
London in the 1960s and 1970s.

Aylesbury never did gain a motorway connection, for which I am
grateful. However, it lost a fine mainline to the north. It lost the
fast service to London. It lost its link to the WCML at Cheddington
and all local service going north. All tat remains are the stopping
DMU services to London.

A couple of years back I recall one lady politician at Westminster
refer to "Arrangements in Breweries". My first thought in response was
"She would know, wouldn't she".

For some years now Tony, I have been part of a successful campaign for
rail expansion here in Los Angeles County, see
http://www.friends4expo.org/ It has been a long slog. But we are
making progress and doing so in a metropolis that loves cars and
freeways.

:-) Have a nice evening

Adrian.
HOLLYWOOD, CA

Gerrards Cross update 5/7/05
 

"Adrian Auer-Hudson" wrote:

Actually Tony, I am from Aylesbury. And I do not think the politicians
here in the US are above criticism. When it comes to railroads, the
word clueless comes to mind.

The word 'system' would be hard to apply to most of the passenger
railroads in the United States.

Nevertheless having grown up near a town (Aylesbury) with fine rail
links both north and south. Said routes having the potential for
development into a fine network, you will understand my disappointment
at the leftovers that Aylesbury has for it rail link today.

This is particularly strange in so far as Aylesbury was part of an area
that was expected to see, and did see, expanded housing and employment
as companies and individual were encouraged to relocate away from
London in the 1960s and 1970s.

Aylesbury never did gain a motorway connection, for which I am
grateful. However, it lost a fine mainline to the north. It lost the
fast service to London. It lost its link to the WCML at Cheddington
and all local service going north. All tat remains are the stopping
DMU services to London.


I really wonder if you are talking about the Aylesbury I know, because
that is where I live.

Aylesbury has superb rail links to London, with fast, modern, clean
trains offering a punctual and reliable service. There are excellent
connections into the London Underground system, with whose services
the Aylesbury service of Chiltern Railways is well coordinated.

There are two routes to London, one via Amersham and the other via
High Wycombe. The latter route offers an easy interchange at Princes
Risborough with express trains to Banbury, Leamington Spa and
Birmingham, which have recently doubled in frequency.

Presumably you would like the little-used rural lines that used to
radiate from Aylesbury to be kept open with large government subsidy,
rather than spending the money on services that people actually want
to use, in very large numbers.

Chiltern Railways is a great success, and enjoys strong local support.

Please don't knock it.

I think your criticism of Aylesbury's excellent rail services is
wholly misplaced, being based on old fashioned sentiment rather than
common sense rooted in reality.

Gerrards Cross update 5/7/05....Transport in Aylesbury
 

"General Von Clinkerhoffen" wrote in message
...
Aylesbury does still have good if bloody expensive rail connections with
Chiltern,

Eh?

I'd call £10 for a day Travelcard to London (with a Network Card), giving
travel on all trains, buses, Underground etc. as far south as Orpington,
Croydon and Surbiton *bloody* good value for money.

Likewise £18 return to Brum is pretty good value compared with the walk-on
fares that the competition charge.

Gerrards Cross update 5/7/05....Transport in Aylesbury
 

"Jack Taylor" wrote:


"General Von Clinkerhoffen" wrote in message
...
Aylesbury does still have good if bloody expensive rail connections with
Chiltern,

Eh?

I'd call £10 for a day Travelcard to London (with a Network Card), giving
travel on all trains, buses, Underground etc. as far south as Orpington,
Croydon and Surbiton *bloody* good value for money.

Likewise £18 return to Brum is pretty good value compared with the walk-on
fares that the competition charge.


Well said, Jack. Chiltern Railways offer *excellent* value for money,
whether as a taxpayer or a farepayer.

Gerrards Cross update 5/7/05....Transport in Aylesbury
 

I pay £1648 annual season ticket from Aylesbury to Amersham, from Stoke
Mandeville it £300 cheaper, I call that expensive for a 15 mile journey.

Jack Taylor wrote:
"General Von Clinkerhoffen" wrote in message
...

Aylesbury does still have good if bloody expensive rail connections with
Chiltern,


Eh?

I'd call £10 for a day Travelcard to London (with a Network Card), giving
travel on all trains, buses, Underground etc. as far south as Orpington,
Croydon and Surbiton *bloody* good value for money.

Likewise £18 return to Brum is pretty good value compared with the walk-on
fares that the competition charge.

Gerrards Cross update 5/7/05....Transport in Aylesbury
 

General Von Clinkerhoffen wrote:

I pay £1648 annual season ticket from Aylesbury to Amersham, from Stoke
Mandeville it £300 cheaper, I call that expensive for a 15 mile journey.


Then why not drive? You have the choice.