Aylesbury Conservative Councillor and Chair of Buckinghamshire Council's Aylesbury Community Board, Mark Winn, has presented the town's MP Rob Butler with a petition to take to Parliament calling for the construction of the Aylesbury link of EWR. Signed by more than 2,000 people, the petition calls on the Department for Transport to give the green light to the line.
Mark has been leading the local campaign for the railway since it emerged that plans for the link were under threat.
Mark said:
"This petition shows the strength of feeling amongst local people on the need for the Aylesbury link of East-West Rail. It would have a huge impact on the town, especially reducing the amount of traffic on the roads which is the bane of residents' daily lives. More than that, the Aylesbury link would also benefit the entire county by providing a north-south line across Buckinghamshire. Rob has repeatedly raised the need for the Aylesbury rail link in the House of Commons and I'm delighted he'll now take this petition to Parliament to underline the importance of getting this train service in Buckinghamshire's county town. After all, this is the railway we do want locally, unlike HS2"
Rob said:
"The Aylesbury rail link is vital to the future prosperity of our town. As I've said throughout my time as an MP, development must benefit everyone, and as Aylesbury continues to grow, we need the right infrastructure to support it. The line would cut congestion on the roads, improve journey times on the rails, and reduce air pollution.
I'd like to congratulate Mark for his work organising this petition which I will be taking to Parliament. It will undoubtedly help me reinforce the arguments I have already made to the Department for Transport".
