A MAJOR upgrade of Amersham's overground train service into London has been promised by Chiltern Railways after it won the right to run trains for another 20 years.

The franchise, the longest ever awarded by the Strategic Rail Authority, is a major vote of confidence in the company which was named on Wednesday as the train operator of the year at the HSBC Rail Business Awards.

The firm has promised more trains, more punctual trains, better track, improved safety, improved stations, better driver training, and more links with other forms of public transport through its £361 million plans.

Chiltern Railways boss Adrian Shooter pledged that the upgrade of the line from Aylesbury through Amersham to Marylebone would happen. But he said it would have to wait for consideration until March 2005, and will need extra money to bring about.

It will be looked at in the light of what is planned for Crossrail, the route linking east and west rail services in London, which may run west to Aylesbury.

He added that the line needed more and faster trains.

The investment could steal a march on the development of the London Underground system.

Earlier this month Tube bosses faced a storm of protest from commuters particularly using the branch line from Chesham who complained about the unreliability of the service, late and cancelled trains and lack of money to spend on it. The Tube's service manager Keven Hafter admitted that the Met was a 'tired railway'.

That meeting heard that commuters were already deserting the Met line because they regarded Chiltern Railways services as more reliable.

That same evening, the Government announced in the House of Commons that new investment for the Tube would go forward through a public private partnership. But this has already proved controversial and many including Chesham and Amersham MP Cheryl Gillan say real improvement would not be seen for years to come.

The Chiltern Railways deal, the first of the new long-term contracts, was announced on Monday by the chairman of the Strategic Rail Authority, Richard Bowker, and Chiltern Railways' managing director, Adrian Shooter.

The money has been raised by Laing Investments, majority shareholder in the train company, and comes mainly from the Royal Bank of Scotland.

Chiltern runs trains from Marylebone to Aylesbury via Amersham and Great Missenden and also to High Wycombe and Birmingham.

The aim is to get 15 out of 16 trains running on time by the end of next year and 50 per cent more passenger journeys by 2010.