Steaming ahead in Risborough (From Bucks Free Press)

Steaming ahead in Risborough

9:30am Thursday 17th March 2005

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CHINNOR and Princes Risborough Railway have received a loan of £10,000 and a grant of £1,000 to help bring steam trains back to Princes Risborough.

Both sums have been handed out by Wycombe District Council.

Richard Floyd, chairman of Chinnor and Princes Risborough Railway, said: "The grant and loan have been given to us to help us with our development project at Risborough. The railway has been trying to extend our line back into Risborough station to connect with the main line and we are quite close to agreeing a proposal with Network Rail to do it."

Most of the money will be spent on ensuring the tracks are up to standard, and a special design company will need to be hired to carry out the work, expected to start at the end of this year and finish by the end of 2006.

Mr Floyd said: "The work is not the sort of thing that can be done by a voluntary organisation like ourselves."

The railway has also reached an agreement with Network Rail for a 99-year lease to continue using their land and track, using money raised independently.

Mr Floyd said: "The association has raised a large amount of money on its own and this has been used to lease the land."

On Mother's Day, March 6, the 4pm train ran as the Red Nose Train, where all money collected from fares was donated to Comic Relief. More than £250 was raised during the event.

Brian Dickinson, of Chinnor and Princes Risborough Railway, said: "The day went really well and we raised a lot of money."

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