 The LNER did not want to take full responsibility for the line , and although they provided the services , ownership remained with the LPTB . In 1935 the LPTB , seeking to abandon steam power as much as possible , drew up a scheme to include electrification of the Amersham line as part of the New Works Programme . It was not planned to electrify the Chesham branch ; instead , a diesel @-@ powered GWR railcar was borrowed from the GWR for trials on the branch . Although the railcar performed well on the curves and slopes of the branch , the railcar had a capacity for only 70 passengers and was only able to haul light amounts of goods . The LPTB commissioned its own , larger , railcar design , but by the end of 1936 , it decided instead to electrify the Chesham branch , and the railcar schemes were abandoned . The LPTB 's plan envisaged electric trains splitting at Chalfont & Latimer , with half of each train continuing to Amersham and half to Chesham . 
