MORE trains connecting West Oxfordshire to Oxford and London are needed to ensure a strong future for the district, it has been claimed.

Witney MP Robert Courts led a debate in Parliament centred on improvements to the Cotswold line, which links West Oxfordshire to Oxford and the capital by rail.

With passenger numbers soaring, Mr Courts said urgent improvements were needed – including adding a second track to increase the frequency of trains to and from London. He said bolstering the railway would also help ease congestion on the A40.

The MP raised the issue just a month after he poured cold water on proposals to restore a direct rail link between Witney and Oxford.

Opening his debate on the subject last Wednesday, Mr Courts pointed out that the use of train services in his Witney constituency had increased over the past 10 years by 52 per cent —an increase of 250,781 passenger entries and exits.

He added: “That shows two things: first, that there is a very real appetite for the services that are provided and secondly that significant improvements to those services will be needed in the years ahead.

“We can do so much more to make the most of the existing line if we work together and look to the future.

“That is necessary because, given the expected housing growth over the next 10 years, we will need to make the most of the services along that line.

“It is important to look at Oxfordshire as a whole economic unit, and for West Oxfordshire not to be forgotten when looking at infrastructure.”

There are, Mr Courts noted during the debate, a number of issues with the current level of service at West Oxfordshire stations.

The last evening train from London departs at 9.50 pm on Saturdays. The first train from Hanborough to London every morning is at 6.13 am, and runs every 30 minutes. Mr Courts said this was not enough for commuters and those attending events in London.

He said: “The solution is to double the north Cotswold line at least to Hanborough, but ideally all the way to where it is currently doubled at Charlbury.

“Ideally, the solution would involve electrification, certainly to Oxford. Only then can we use the line’s full capacity, and use the existing track bed to provide the rail services that west Oxfordshire needs.”

He said a second track could be easily provided, adding: “That simply must happen as soon as possible if we are to establish faster, more frequent journeys to and from London.”

Mr Courts previously raised concerns about calls by campaigners to resurrect a rail link between Witney and Oxford. He said the plans would be costly and that such a scheme may not achieve the desired impact.