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Chinnor Princes Risborough opens main line interchange By Robin Jones THE Chinnor & Princes Risborough Railway officially opened its new main line interchange at Princes Risborough on Wednesday, August 15. The new interchange between the CPRR and Chiltern Railways has created the nearest main line-connected heritage railway, with a cross-platform interchange facility, to London, being just 40 minutes from Marylebone by Chiltern Railways services. The interchange has been constructed by the 100% volunteer-operated line and was part-funded by a £75,000 grant from the Department for Transport made in August 2016, and a private major benefactor, along with hundreds of donations made over the last 25 years. The project has been partnered by Network Rail and Chiltern Railways. The interchange now offers a cross platform interchange with Chiltern Railways’ trains from London Marylebone, Aylesbury, Oxford, Banbury and Birmingham Snow Hill. Public services commenced in the afternoon of August 15 running as ‘The Watlington Flyer’ travelling non-stop along four miles of the GWR Watlington branch line to Chinnor station, which is the end of the line for now.
GWR prairie No. 5526 departs from Platform 4 at Princes Risborough with the official opening train to Chinnor around 12.30pm on August 15. ROBIN JONES
Forty minutes from London
Regular steam and diesel-hauled trains will then serve the new interchange on several days a week until the end of October. Full information is available at www.chinnorrailway.co.uk Network Rail chairman Sir Peter Hendy said: “The connection of the CPRR with the National Railway Network is a stunning achievement for a volunteer-operated railway, and will generate environmentally friendly rail-based tourism on the closest preserved railway to London. Network Rail congratulates the railway for this extension, and it will be a privilege to ride on the first public train on it.” Chiltern Railways managing director Dave Penney, said: “We are delighted to be helping make this attraction even easier for tourists and families to visit. As this important local attraction is now accessible by rail from Marylebone in just 40 minutes, this will certainly help drive more visitors and help boost the local economy.” Parliamentary Under Secretary of State at the Department of Transport, Nusrat Ghani MP, said: “We are hugely fortunate to have a thriving heritage rail scene in this country, supported by thousands of volunteers such as those working on the CPRR. Thanks to their hard work and this new link at Princes Risborough, the romance of branch line steam travel is
6 Heritagerailway.co.uk
South Devon-based GWR No. 5526 and resident Class 20 D8059 with the official opening train from Chinnor on Platform 4 at Princes Risborough on August 15. ROBIN JONES Above: Chiltern Railways Turbo train No. 165035 heads the VIP guest train from London via Princes Risborough into Chinnor for the official launch on August 15. Among the guests were Lady Judy McAlpine, widow of the late Sir William McAlpine, and new owner of Steam Dreams, David Buck. ROBIN JONES Left: Class 20 D8059 pulls the first passengercarrying train into Platform 4 at Princes Risborough on August 12. PHIL MARSH now closer to London than ever before.” CPRR chairman Danny Woodward said: “The physical work has been carried out over the last three years by a dedicated team of volunteers working in temperatures ranging between -10°C and 31°C. They have been joined by volunteers from key partners Network Rail and Chiltern Railways. “Volunteer labour has been estimated to have saved over £750,000 and the opening phase of
the project costed at about £350,000, demonstrating the value of volunteers. This is the end of the first phase of the project with another estimated three years’ work to be carried out.” More infrastructure upgrades will take up to the end of 2019 to complete.
Landmark progress
The Watlington branch lost its passenger services, known affectionately as ‘The Watlington Flyer’
in August 1957. The last-ever BR train ran on January 4, 1990 taking empty coal wagons from Chinnor cement works to Acton. The CPRR operated its first train in August 1994 over a one-mile section of the line from Chinnor station towards Princes Risborough. The line was reconnected by volunteers to the national rail network in February 2016 and operated its first train into Princes Risborough in June that year.
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