The Future
Since 1995 the Abbey Flyer Users Group (ABFLY) has been campaigning to secure the future of the line and encourage its growth. The Abbey Line was designated by the Strategic Rail Authority as a community rail line in July 2005, one of seven pilots under the Community Rail Development Strategy.
In 2004 a proposal was made by Transport for London for a London Regional Rail Authority to take control over some rail services which extended out of Greater London, including the St Albans branch line.
On 30 October 2009 Secretary of State for Transport, Lord Adonis, announced a plan to increase frequency on the line by allowing Hertfordshire County Council to lease the line from Network Rail and converting it to operation using light rail vehicles from 2011. This should be made possible for the same amount of subsidy the line currently receives, as the new infrastructure required, such as a passing loop is cheaper for light rail than heavy rail. Longer-term proposals envisage the extension of the light rail service into both Watford town centre via Clarendon Road and High Street, and into St Albans city centre, possibly as far as St Albans City railway station, as well as the possible re-instatement of the line to Hatfield.
Read more about this topic: Abbey Line
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