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Exciting first steps for East West rail link
ON Monday (January 26) residents adjacent to the disused railway line between Bletchley and Steeple Claydon will see the first work towards building an East West Rail Link start.
The project will see rail services connecting the major growth areas of Milton Keynes, Aylesbury and Bedford, as well as Oxford.
Contractors undertaking the 1.5million outline design work for the western section of the scheme will be clearing vegetation along this stretch so they can start in earnest on their technical surveys.
It is hoped that the full 225million project will see trains running by 2013 and there will be extensive consultation throughout with local communities. The project should be funded through a range of public sources and developer contributions.
It is expected that new stations will be built at Winslow and Newton Longville, along with the appropriate road, bus, cycle and walking links to them.
The project is being led by Milton Keynes Partnership jointly with the East West Rail Consortium, which Buckinghamshire County Council chairs.
Once this design work is complete at the end of 2009, the next step will be to build the link subject to final approval and funding.
For much of the corridor existing track will be used, although some sections will require upgrading, and new track will be provided where the railway has been closed.
Cllr Val Letheren, portfolio holder for transportation, said: "After so many years in the pipeline it is great to see work started on this vital rail link for the many thousands of extra homes planned for this region by 2026. This council has already been extremely successful in encouraging alternative forms of transport to the car to reduce congestion and this rail link will contribute greatly to that."
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Weather for Aylesbury
Friday 25 May 2012
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Temperature: 11 C to 24 C
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Temperature: 11 C to 22 C
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