Ambitious plans for a new train link which could transform Watford into a shining, modern example of progress seem to have been in the pipeline for an eternity now.

At first it seemed as though the project would materialise quickly, opening up the town to a wealth of investment possibilities while at the same time making commuting to and from the capital a breeze.

However a financial wrangle between Transport for London and the Department for Transport have stopped the scheme dead in its tracks, with neither side willing to cough up the additional £50 million needed.

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But all is not lost. Behind the scenes, planning work to make the project a reality is ongoing quietly.

Hopefully this will mean that as soon as the funds are made available, we can put spade to earth and make some real headway on construction.

If not, we are going to have some very red faced officials.

Millions of pounds from the public purse has already been spent on the project.

It is now in everyone’s interests that we push forward on all fronts, lest that scarce public money be wasted.