Improving the environment - both locally and regionally - is the principal inspiration behind the Windsor Link Railway (WLR).
It will compliment the government's plans for High Speed rail between London and the north, making this new service more accessible to a larger number of people. Crossrail too, will be connected to a bigger catchment area.
It will fit with the
local council's transport policy of making better use of existing transport infrastructure. This will be by improving utilisation on currently under-used rail branches and joining them together to make a new national, strategic railway.
Currently, only 12% of tourists visit Windsor by train, most using less environmentally friendly coaches or taxis. It is similar for Oxford.
According to the last government census, in 2000, there are 280,000 car journeys per week between High Wycombe and Maidenhead. This will have increased dramatically since then. The A404, like many other roads in the region, is currently at capacity, significantly impeding the local economy, affecting people's quality of life as they get to work and damaging the environment.
The WLR will make rail more useful and accessible throughout the Thames Valley and surrounding region. The re-opened link between High Wycombe and Maidenhead will be the only north-south rail link for forty miles west of London. It will provide rail links to places such as Heathrow Airport that are faster than using the car - encouraging people rather than forcing them to use more environmentally modes of transport.
An example of WLR's commitment to the environment and our heritage is the restoration of the riverside area of Windsor, known as the Goswells. The image above is of Alexandra Gardens in Windsor, just after they were completed in 1902, with the purpose of preserving the view of the castle and creating a pleasant riverside area. More recently, this purpose has been lost and the environment allowed to degrade.
The WLR will repair the damage to the environment by restoring this area of Windsor and at the same time helping the wider environment and the economy by building a new railway better connecting the region.
Similarly, the WLR will invest in the Chalvey area of Slough to reduce social deprivation and improve access to the rail network from the M4 motorway.