SIR, As I sat in the hour-long jams on the A41 caused by Bicester Village traffic, my thoughts drifted to the demise of Great Central Railway, which local politicians campaigned hard to save, claiming its loss would damage rural communities.

This line skirted the north of Bicester, linking this rural area to London, Manchester, Sheffield, Newcastle and on to Scotland.

Now our local politicians are campaigning hard to stop the reopening of this link. Now they say it would provide no benefits and would damage rural communities.

Bicester will more than double in size over the next 20 years and is now at the confluence of the M40, A41, A34, A43, and a new east- west rail line, linking Oxford to Cambridge and midway between Birmingham and London.

Where better than just to the north of Bicester to locate an intermediate stop on the HS2. Imagine being able to get to Edinburgh from Bicester in under three hours, or to Paris in four hours.

Imagine the benefits and jobs this would bring to the local area, and the environmental benefits in traffic reduction.

Imagine our local politicians saying let’s make the best of HS2.

Imagine turning a significant detrimental impact into a significant positive for the growing community of Bicester so that we are no longer gridlocked by polluting cars. Imagine.

Mark Longworth, Chapel Drive, Ambrosden