Sir – On April 14 our county council passed a motion calling for an all-Oxfordshire rail strategy, including reopening stations at Grove and Yarnton, reopening the Witney branch line, extending from Witney to Carterton, and double-tracking the remaining single track on the Cotswold line.

In May 2014, David Cameron also proposed doubling the entire Cotswold line. But now Conservative rail minister Claire Perry opposes it, saying it would cost £160-£200 million and has “no strategic case”.

At most we may get a one-mile “passing loop” of double track at Hanborough, sometime after the 2020 election. Assuming Mrs Perry’s comments were authorised, Mr Cameron has done a u-turn.

Mrs Perry was speaking in response to the Avon rail link (ARL) proposal, which is for a £62 million railway between Stratford-upon-Avon and the Cotswold line. She ruled out government support for ARL, saying it was “a matter for local authorities to consider”.

Given deep Coalition cuts in county council funding, this means the Conservatives are not going to fund ARL.

ARL would restore passenger trains to three miles of track between Honeybourne and Long Marston, and rebuild six miles of former railway between there and Stratford. It would directly link Stratford and Oxford, cutting traffic on the A44.

ARL’s business case is stronger than that for phase 1 of HS2, even though HS2 is inflated with “made up” figures. We need a Government that will scrap HS2 and invest that £50 billon in useful railways, including the cotswold line, Oxford-Witney and Honeybourne-Stratford.

Hugh Jaeger
Park Close
Oxford