THE future of Central Railway's plans for a north-south freight rail line through the middle of the county will not be decided until the autumn.

The Strategic Rail Authority (SRA) is preparing a report for the government about the scheme, after which the government will decide whether to back a bill in parliament aimed at getting the line through.

But the SRA has only just received a report from its own consultants and local MPs say it is not possible for anything to be done before parliament breaks up for the summer.

David Lidington, MP for Aylesbury (Con), who opposed the scheme from the start, wrote to the transport minister asking what the SRA time scale was.

He got the reply this week saying there was not one but that the SRA would report 'in due course'. That would not be before the autumn, said Mr Lidington.

The SRA has also received a 50-page report from a consortium of 16 local councils, set up by South Bucks District Council earlier this year, to look at Central Railway's plans.

Mr Lidington described the report as a detailed and devastating critique. He said: "It suggests to the SRA that there are lots more questions to be asked before it is reasonable to consider anything like a hybrid bill." A hybrid bill would bypass the need for detailed planning inquiries for the scheme.

Trevor Egleton, leader of South Bucks District Council, who is chairman of the consortium, said councils wanted to see freight off the road and onto trains. He added: "But the project has the capacity to cause enormous damage to the environment and quality of life."

The consortium doubts whether the scheme is viable and does not believe it will take as much traffic off roads as claimed.

Paul Rogerson, a Wycombe district council cabinet member and a member of the consortium, added the line would have to be level to cope with heavy freight traffic which would mean embankments through the Area of Natural Outstanding Beauty from West Wycombe to Princes Risborough.

He did not think the line would help traffic congestion and added: "It doesn't actually distribute lorry traffic other than from dropping points."

A Central Railway spokesman said: "We are going to listen carefully to what all the local authorities say. Leading rail consultants said the project is viable.

"Also that it will lead to a reduction in environmental pollution and take lorries off the road is of benefit to the environment."