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Newsletter 143Spring 2009MMPA AGMThe Annual General Meeting of the Association will be held in the Bourne End Community Hall on Friday March 27th commencing at 8pm. The agenda is in two parts with the strictly AGM related content being items 1 6, with supplementary items from 7 onwards
Election of OfficersThe current Committee comprises:
If you wish to be considered for the next committee please contact our Secretary at Randolph House, Riversdale, Bourne End, Bucks. SL8 5EA or use the MMPA website contact page. Furze Platt Station user soughtFurze Platt station remains without a representative to keep an eye on things we are eager for someone to fill this simple role and keep the Committee up to date. It's a way of helping to get the sort of station you want. Bourne End Bridge RefurbishmentMMPA has received correspondence from Network Rail in response to queries about the status of this project. Network Rail have advised that the originally planned overall refurbishment has now been called off with no revised date to complete being provided. There will be some work done because materials have already been purchased but the footbridge will not be affected. This will mean that train services are likely to be affected over the four Sundays commencing from 8th March. Rail replacement busses will be used where required so check in advance before travelling. The lack of any follow-up date is of concern to the Association. MMPA intend to pursue this further with Network Rail as we wish to ensure this much needed refurbishment work is not abandoned, leading to possible safety issues arising on the bridge in future and necessitating even greater expenditure to rectify. Bourne End Ticket MachineDue to criminal action over the festive season, this has been removed for repair and rebuilding. It is expected to take up to 6 months for its return. The MMPA believes that if maximising revenue and minimising fare evasion is to be a priority for FGW, then every effort needs to be taken to ensure ticket machines are in place and working where planned. New High Speed TrainsAgility Trains, a consortium made up of John Laing, Hitachi and Barclays Bank has been awarded preferred bidder status to build the new generation of high speed trains to replace the ageing 125s on the East Coast Main Line and the Great Western route. The first of the new trains - which are designed to be faster (capable of 140 mph where tracks permit it), greener and able to carry 21% more passengers - are scheduled to enter service on the East Coast mainline in 2013, and to be fully operational from 2015. Membership MattersOnce again the time has come to ask for your continued support for another year. Membership subscriptions are due on 1st April but will be very welcome in advance or at our AGM on Friday 27th March. There are no changes to the fees this year which are 4 for individuals, 5 for families and 3 for concessions (for which I will accept under 18s in full-time education, over 65s or over 60s and fully retired or unemployed). If you joined after 1st January 2009 your membership will run through to March 2010 so you do not need to renew this year. Family membership is for two adults plus dependents living at one address and requiring one copy of the newsletter and timetable booklet. We are not concerned about your actual relationship. I have been contacted by some couples who are both individual members to say that they don't both need newsletters. In such cases it would be helpful if you would renew as family members. It you'd like to add a voluntary donation that would be appreciated but not expected. Of course if you both want to receive timetable booklets then please remain as individual members. A renewal slip will be enclosed with this newsletter, or attached in the case of email deliveries. Cheques should be payable to "Marlow-Maidenhead Passengers' Association" or just "MMPA" and sent to MMPA Membership, 23 Switchback Road North, Maidenhead SL6 7UF. If you wish to pay by on-line banking please contact me first as it is essential that all transactions can be accurately identified. I have been asked what purpose our membership cards serve, which is not a lot except to vote at a general meeting. I shall not be issuing them this year, but I shall happy to provide a receipt for cash payments and if you provide a stamped addressed envelope. Data Protection Act - the committee advises you that members' names and addresses are held on computer solely for the purpose of producing labels for the distribution of newsletters, and will not, under any circumstances, be divulged to third parties unless required to do so by law. Richard Porter Railway footpathA section of the Bourne End to High Wycombe railway trackbed at Cores End has been adopted as a public footpath. A 370 metre strip of the former railway trackbed of the Bourne End to High Wycombe Branch has been added to the definitive footpath map by Bucks County Council following a two day enquiry in January. Train of thoughtSpain was once regarded as the poor man of Europe but it still manages to invest in its transport infrastructure as witness the expanding high speed (186mph) rail network. The latest addition allows travel from Barcelona to Malaga in 5 hours and 40 minutes saving 50 minutes over the previous time. How many years do we have to wait before Britain gets more than just HS1 (Channel Tunnel Rail Link). TRAVEL INFORMATIONBBC Radio Berkshire: 95.4, 104.1 fm and DAB. (also phone 08459 - 311333)
Also see our web site www.mmpa.org.uk for links. Contact MMPAIf you have any issues or comments regarding public transport in the area that you would like to raise please use the Contact Us links on the MMPA website www.mmpa.org.uk. |
