Lifted

Telegrammed by The Master
Railway Eye readers may remember that Ruth Kelly was subject to much ridicule when she told the Transport Select Committee that her department had safeguarded the route of a non-existent closed railway between London and Birmingham.

Well we may owe the Secretary of State an apology as it's obviously an easy mistake to make!

After all, even those fonts of all railway knowledge (trainspotters) get it wrong sometimes.

Hence this interesting interpretation of the news that has appeared on a railway forum with the rather appropriate name of Going Loco:

Chiltern Railways have announced a 200million scheme to reopen the line from High Wycombe to Oxford, which has been shut since 1964. A Transport & Works Act application will soon be made to move the scheme forward, with Chiltern Railways taking the lead in developing the project. Chiltern say that this will be their priority following the completion of Aylesbury Vale Parkway.

The ambition would be achieved by linking the Chiltern line to Bicester Town station, from where trains could continue through to Oxford. This would give Bicester new links both to Oxford and London, as well as providing further travel opportunities between Oxford and London, to compete with First Great Western

The link in question is a brand- new chord at Bicester which has never been shut because it's never been open!

Perhaps a career at DafT beckons...