LONDON Underground chiefs have announced the Chesham through-train service will continue for another year.

The reprieve follows public consultation which showed that 86 per cent of residents were against plans to remove it. However, a decision to axe the peak-time through-trains, which mean commuters do not have to change trains at Chalfont and Latimer station, will be made later this year.

The results of the public consultation, published last week, showed overwhelming support to keep the service as it is, with only ten per cent of respondents supporting London Underground's proposals to scrap the current system.

London Underground now says it will undertake further technical work to understand the results of the survey in greater detail.

A spokesman for London Underground said: "It's very clear Chesham residents are opposed to this so we have to do more work."

Paul Kilius-Smith, Metropolitan Line general manager, said: "The public consultation ensured everyone with an interest in the Chesham service had the opportunity to have their say. The consultation highlighted that the majority of respondents had significant concerns about the proposal to withdraw through trains to Chesham at peak periods.

"London Underground is now undertaking further work to review all the information received and will consider timing of connections to and from any shuttle service and the impact that any changes to the Chesham service would have on the service delivered to Metropolitan Line customers at other stations as well as the impact on plans for upgrading the line. Once this is complete a decision will be taken later this year about whether to proceed with the proposal."

The president of the Federation of Metropolitan Line Users committee, Gordon Dixon, has received similar feedback from the public and hoped the weight of opinion would help save the through-train service.

He said: "This is great. I hope they are going to take notice of 86 per cent of the public that have spoken. I'd be interested to hear what other proposals London Underground have, but I hope they won't ride roughshod over the public votes.

"Its no use having a consultation and then ignoring it ".