Great Western Coffee Shop

Rail links between Marlow and Maidenhead look set to be improved as millions of pounds of Government funding were pledged to improve the Buckinghamshire economy today.

An extra ^8.8m is set to be invested in the county as part of the Growth Deal scheme, which has already seen ^44.2m pledged to the region.

The extra cash is set to go towards several projects, including proposals to allow two direct trains between Marlow and Maidenhead per hour throughout the day, along with improvements to station facilities along the route.

Rail operator First Great Western backs plan to increase number of Marlow trains

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Rail operator backs plan to increase number of Marlow trains

A rail operator says proposed changes to a popular commuting route are "fundamental" to getting the best out of the line as they throw their weight behind the scheme.

First Great Western - which is responsible for the Marlow to Maidenhead line - has aired its support for plans to increase the frequency of trains on the stretch.

Buckinghamshire Thames Valley Local Enterprise Partnership (BTVLEP) previously announced an ^8.8m extension to its Growth Deal from central government, which it says it hopes to plough into improving services on the busy line.

And First Great Western said the changes are vital to the livelihood of the line.

Spokesman James Davis said: "This track is fundamental to be able to unlock the potential of the line and increase capacity to a half hourly through service, passing through Bourne End to Marlow. We will continue to work with the local authority and the LEP to bring forward the future enhancements we know our passengers would like to see."

Currently, during peak times, a shorter Marlow to Bourne End train serves one section of the line and another between Bourne End and Maidenhead.

Installing extra track at Bourne End would allow two direct services per hour, and would improve the long wait once the peak time is over.

Marlow and Maidenhead Passengers^ Association said it would like to see the changes implemented, along with electrification of the line.

First Great Western is negotiating a new franchise deal to run the line, with its current agreement ending in September.

Improvements for Marlow line as new ^68million rail deal announced

Commuters' lives are set to become a little easier from the autumn after a raft of upgrades were announced as part of a deal on the route covering Marlow and Bourne End.

New ticket machines in Marlow and Cookham are among the changes after the First Group agreed a new franchise deal with the Government for the Great Western Route  until 2019.

A fleet upgrade will see new trains across the entire First Great Western (FGW) route, which serves travellers in south Bucks via Maidenhead, including Bourne End, Marlow and Cookham stations.

Rail bosses say stations on the Marlow line will receive a ^package of improvements^ that FGW plans to deliver in partnership with Buckinghamshire Thames Valley Local Enterprise Partnership.

And the operator also confirmed it will extend its rollout of free WiFi ^ already available across its long distance services ^ to all Thames Valley services by the end of this summer.

FGW Managing Director Mark Hopwood said: ^For us, this franchise deal is about changing the way people think about rail. The Great Western network is already seeing the biggest investment since Brunel, and this deal has been designed to match that investment and ambition. It gives passengers newer trains, faster, more frequent services and importantly, given the growth this franchise has seen in recent years, more seats ^ three million extra seats a year by December 2018. I believe that the team at First Great Western will deliver for customers and the thriving communities and economies they serve, as well as the taxpayer.^

Transport secretary Patrick McLoughlin said the new franchise agreement, worth around ^68million, will create ^a railway that is fit for the 21st century^.

FGW says newer trains will increase the number of seats for commuters in the Thames Valley travelling in high peak times by 25 per cent from 2017.

Electric trains will be introduced for the first time along FGW^s route, but there is no mention in today^s announcement of any concrete plans to roll it out along the Marlow line, despite long-standing calls from commuter groups.