TRANSPORT minister Lord Adonis came to St Albans Abbey station this morning to announce an innovative project to convert the Abbey Flyer branch railway into a tram link.

If all goes to plan, two-carriage trams will be taking passengers along the six-and- half-mile route to Watford Junction by the end of 2011, with at least one new passing loop to facilitate half-hourly services.

Lord Adonis, Secretary of State for Transport, said: “To encourage more people to use public transport, it's vital we give passengers a service that suits them.

“The proposed new trams would provide a more regular service and I am glad to be working with Hertfordshire County Council to take forward these exciting plans.

Since the line lost its passing loop at Bricket Wood in the 1960s, the service has been limited to one train every 45 minutes, discouraging passengers who often endure lengthy waits..

The cost of replacing the loop under a traditional heavy rail system has always proved prohibitive, but the shift to a tram system makes it much cheaper.

Other advantages of trams, which would run on the existing rails and use the same overhead power supply, are better acceleration and deceleration, and the possibility of replacing a level crossing at Watford North station with traffic lights, reducing waits for trams and drivers alike.

After a 12-week consultation, Hertfordshire County Council will take a long term lease on the line from Network Rail, opening the opportunity to run the trams out to tender.

Companies bidding for the tender will have to fund the infrastructure changes, including new signals and a maintenance depot, in exchange for the right to run the service on a commercial basis on a long term contract..

If the winning contractor is willing to fund a second passing loop, frequency could be improved to one tram in each direction every 20 minutes.

The project offers the chance of extending the system in the future so trams could run along roads in both central St Albans and Watford , although both would pose considerable planning and cost problems.

County council cabinet transport boss Stuart Pile said the train service would keep running while the line was being converted, although there might be some disruption. to services.

St Albans MP Anne Main said: “I think this is fantastic. Frequent services will really encourage people to get on the trams rather than use their cars.

”My Wish for Christmas is a new bus link between the two St Albans stations.”

But st Albans District Council leader Robert Donald warned: “Although this is very welcome, it is certainly not going to solve our problems of traffic congestion on its own.

“It has to be integrated with all the other work we are doing on transport, such as getting new bus routes.”

After a press conference at St Albans Abbey at 7am, , Lord Adonis caught a train to a photo call at Watford Junction.