Chiltern Railways have issued the following on the subject of Tesco's development at Gerrards Cross.

"There has been a good deal of speculation in the press in recent weeks about Tesco’s plans at Gerrards Cross. Tesco confirmed on June 26th that it plans to resume with its plans for a new store at Gerrards Cross if it gains the necessary approval for detailed designs of a new tunnel construction.

These designs will be worked up in the coming months, and building work is not likely to start again on site, assuming all the necessary approvals are given, until towards the end of the year. We understand that you may have concerns about this and felt it worth explaining the situation in a little more detail to avoid any confusion.

Our first priority is always the safety of our passengers. Following the collapse of the tunnel in 2005 we worked closely with the Health and Safety Executive and Tesco as they and Network Rail secured the tunnel and made it safe once more. The authorities continue to assess this matter to establish who or what was at fault, but it is increasingly clear that whilst the design of the original tunnel was safe, the way in which the construction was executed almost certainly led to the collapse.

Since the tunnel was agreed safe and the line reopened, Tesco has spent time reviewing its development plans at Gerrards Cross. Network Rail has retained close links to this process to satisfy ourselves that the safety of passengers has remained the foremost interest.

As we described above, Tesco’s team has now developed outline plans which have been reviewed by a separate team of independent expert engineers engaged by Network Rail. Network Rail has worked with Tesco’s team throughout this process and agrees that the process by which these initial designs have been developed is a safe one.

Network Rail will continue to have a central role in this process and will not allow work to proceed unless it is clear that detailed, safe designs have been developed, and that the proposed method for construction is suitable. We will also retain a presence on site throughout to make sure safety levels are maintained.

Chiltern Railways has been fully consulted throughout this process and has also appointed independent engineering specialists to work alongside its in-house civil engineers to review the process.

We will keep you informed as Tesco’s plans develop and more information becomes available".