NEWLY re-elected Marlow MP Paul Goodman has said he will continue to make the threatened Marlow-to-Maidenhead passenger line a top priority.

The service is one of 56 across the country earmarked to become "community railways" whereby the local authorities will be asked to take a more active role in running them. This will save the Government millions of pounds.

Mr Goodman criticised the proposal and the fact the Strategic Rail Authority (SRA) which is soon to be defunct was put in charge of the consultation process discussing the idea.

He said: "I have to ask what was the point of the consultation which was being undertaken by a body that was being quashed.

"It's a bit like me deciding to have a consultation if I knew I was not going to be elected at the general election."

Mr Goodman said he was in the process of writing to Buckinghamshire County Council to see how the local authority had progressed in its discussions with the SRA.

The MP added: "I am 100 per cent opposed to this scheme and although I believe it is still some way from being realised, I will be talking to the county council to see how it's going."

Mr Goodman has previously told the Free Press that he was unhappy with the lack of financial support promised to local authorities to help run the lines, if the proposal was undertaken.

Meanwhile, there has been speculation following the publication of a council planning newsletter, that the SRA will be withdrawing its proposals altogether for the Marlow-to-Maidenhead line.

This follows a recent meeting between local authorities and the SRA at the end of April.

A Wycombe District Council spokesman said: "This article was written following a meeting held by the SRA and we outlined their intention from the comments they made at this meeting."

The SRA refused to confirm the claim, but said it would be making a statement in the near future.