Sir – I live in one of West Oxfordshire’s less fortunate satellite settlements, without predictable public transport into Oxford.

We have to face the lottery of at least an hour’s journey along the A40 at peak times to Oxford, the hospitals, science parks and so on.

This involves much wasted time and consequently costs to the economy in terms of missed hospital appointments and lateness for work.

I have recently become involved with the Witney Oxford Transport group (WOT), which is campaigning to utilise parts of the former railway line between Witney and Oxford to help solve this problem.

See the website at witneyoxfordtransport.org.uk for more information about the group.

Everyone present at the launch meeting agreed that this is a ‘no-brainer’ but it does not seem to be considered in any strategic planning for the area and there is no sign of any future investment by the Government or county council in any such link.

I just hope that those who are now planning the future of Oxfordshire’s transport system will see the value of utilising the former rail network wherever possible, adapting it to modern technology to create a flexible, reliable transport network for commuters in the county.

We urgently need to start planning this now and obtain Government funding before the A40 grinds to a halt.

Mary Ann Canning, Freeland