by DAVID BROWN

A new train service running into London every 15 minutes from stations in Brent and Harrow is being examined for the Chiltern Line.

The Chiltern Metro would serve stations at South Ruislip, Northolt Park, Sudbury Hill Harrow, Sudbury and Harrow Road, Wembley Stadium and Marylebone.

A new station at Neasden is also proposed to link the service to the Jubilee and Metropolitan Tube lines.

Journeys into Marylebone would take just 15 minutes from Sudbury Hill and the number of trains stopping at the stations would increase from the present nine a day to more than 60.

Anthony Wood, chairman of Harrow Public Transport Users' Association, which first proposed the improved service, said it would be the quickest way to travel to Central London.

"A metro service is a real opportunity to exploit this underused line," he added.

The line runs roughly parallel to the heavily congested A40/M40, and a fast and regular service would be an attractive alternative for motorists fed up with being stuck in traffic jams.

A feasibility study into the costs and engineering needed for the service is being planned by Chiltern Railways before a bid is made for Government funding.

An estimated £30 million investment is needed to change signalling and create passing loops to allow fast trains through stations where Metro services would stop. Much of this work would reinstate losses made more than 30 years ago following the Beeching cuts.

During rush hours, the service should initially run every 20 minutes and increase to every 15 minutes if demand grows, recommends the HPTUA. Off peak services should initially run half hourly and improve to every 20 minutes.

Transport experts at Harrow Council said: "The proposal from Chiltern Railways represents a positive opportunity to address the concerns which have been expressed over a number of years concerning the quality of train services and facilities on this route. The proposal offers real benefits to the southern portion of this borough."

Brent Council's Liberal Democrat transport spokesman Councillor Daniel Brown said: "With the new National Stadium set to be built in Wembley, we must make sure that it is accessible. If this proposal is given the go ahead, not only would Sudbury's stations be far better served but potentially 80 trains a day would stop at Wembley Stadium station."

Passengers hoping for direct train services from Harrow and Wealdstone to Liverpool Street station will have to wait until at least the summer of 1999.

Silverlink Trains consulted passengers about the proposals for a direct service in the summer but says it had to ensure there was sufficient rolling stock and demand to run the service.

Converted for the new archive on 30 June 2000.Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.