Man behind rail plan 'bruised' by criticism

An ambitious businessman who hopes to create a new rail line from Maidenhead to Windsor has admitted to feeling bruised after his plan got a rough reception at a village meeting.

George Bathurst, 40, hopes to raise funding for a £500m plan to replace Windsor's two stations with one, creating a new line that would link the town with the rest of the South-east.

The former Tory local election candidate and security company owner wants to see trains serve a new route from Heathrow, through Windsor, Slough and Maidenhead.
A new station at Chalvey is also included in his plan which could see the line at Datchet lowered to enable bridges to be built over them.

But Mr Bathurst got an icy reception when he presented his plan at Datchet Parish Council meeting on Monday.

Parish council chairman David Cannon said: "The environmental or economic effects don't seem to have been considered at all. Our concerns were dismissed with platitudes.  He was evasive about who is behind the project, we just did not get an answer."

Watch our exclusive interview with Mr Bathurst in December by clicking here.