Rail user group Abfly was created many years ago to be the rail user group for the Abbey line. A plan was announced to reduce off-peak service frequency on the Abbey line, from December 2022, from every 45 minutes to every 60 minutes. Abfly not wishing to oppose the plan, negotiation failed, leading to the creation of AbbeyRail in July 2022. It is fair to say the relationship between AbbeyRail and Abfly is difficult.

Anyone who has received an email from Abfly since AbbeyRail was created in July 2022 is invited to forward it to AbbeyRail. This provides an opportunity both for verification of accuracy and to provide a reply i.e. to yourself.

Your email will not be forwarded back to Abfly unless there is reason to do so and we agree. We won't do anything that would enable you to be personally identified.

If Abfly claims that emails cannot be forwarded, for example information on a non-disclosure basis, do let us know that this has happened.

If any part of an email from Abfly is in any way difficult, we still welcome forwarding of the email.

This does not apply to an email sent out on the Abfly mailing list. We would not wish to receive multiple copies of such an email. The latest email sent out is believed to have been on 16 July 2021 : if this is incorrect do let us know.

If, at some future point, you are unable to find on this website an invitation to forward emails from Abfly then there is no longer an invitation to do so.

There must be reasons why the relationship between AbbeyRail and Abfly is difficult. Indeed readers may reasonably ask themselves why negotiation with Abfly failed, leading to the creation of AbbeyRail. Here we discuss how supporters of the Abbey line can obtain information that may be of use in understanding what has happened.

Abfly has a constitution, a copy of which is available here Abfly constitution (pdf format, opens in new window or tab). At this point it is worthwhile to observe that Abfly no longer conforms to its constitution. The Abfly committee having been persuaded to offer "free membership", this became no membership system at all. The constitution was therefore dispensed with, even though the constitution itself does not permit this (note 15). There was no discussion and no vote in a general meeting of current members.

A key aspect of Abfly's constitution is that the Abfly committee is (i.e. was intended to be) open and accountable to supporters of the Abbey line.

Our approach to making information available is to interpret what would have been the situation had Abfly continued to conform to its constitution. Members, had the membership system continued to operate, would have been signed up to the Abfly mailing list. Subject to requirements listed below, we will make information available to those who are signed up to the Abfly mailing list.

Please sign up to receive Hertsrail newsletters before requesting information, since we consider this as an indication that you are a supporter of the Abbey line hertsrail.org.uk (opens in new window or tab).

To obtain information from us, we are asking you to find an email that was sent out to you on the Abfly mailing list and which was, therefore, sent to you as someone who was subscribed to the Abfly mailing list. Having located such an email, we will be inviting you to forward it to us. At the time of writing, no email has been sent out on the Abfly mailing list since July 2021. Therefore, you will need to search your old emails.

If at this point you are unable to find an email sent out to you via the Abfly mailing list, there is no purpose served in continuing to read this section. We will not be able to provide you with information.

Having found an email sent out to you via the Abfly mailing list, we also need you to confirm that you remain a current subscriber to the Abfly mailing list. If you are not a current subscriber to the Abfly mailing list, there is no purpose served in continuing to read this section. We will not be able to provide you with information.

Having found an email sent out to you via the Abfly mailing list and being a current subscriber to the Abfly mailing list, you can request information from us by forwarding the email sent out to you and including the following at the start of your email:

I confirm that I am a supporter of the Abbey line and that I am currently subscribed to the Abfly mailing list.
I confirm that I am forwarding an email sent out on the Abfly mailing list and which was sent directly to this email address.

This can be copied and pasted if you wish. The statement must be truthful. If you change the wording, it is likely we will ignore your request.

We would be grateful if you did not raise other issues in the same email. Other issues, if any, are best written in a separate email.

When you send an email as indicated to AbbeyRail, we may in normal circumstances respond to your request for information, although there may be a considerable delay at busy times. We are under no obligation to provide any information.

Please sign up to receive Hertsrail newsletters before requesting information, since we consider this as an indication that you are a supporter of the Abbey line hertsrail.org.uk (opens in new window or tab).

If, at some future point, you are unable to find on this website an invitation to request information from us then there is no longer an invitation to do so.

Notice : by conforming to the requirements listed above and by requesting information from us, you are confirming that you are within scope of the Abfly constitution.

We do not seek conflict and we encourage Abfly to resolve its issues.

Rest assured in these difficult circumstances that AbbeyRail is focused on securing the future of the Watford Junction to St Albans Abbey branch line. That is why AbbeyRail exists.

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Last revised 18 June 2024