Sir – On October 25, Chiltern Railways opened its new Oxford Parkway station, reopened the enlarged Bicester Village and Islip stations, and ran the first trains between Oxford Parkway and Marylebone. It is Oxfordshire’s first new public railway since 1910.

On October 26, David Cameron visited Oxford Parkway, declared the line and station open. He spoke reminding us that current infrastructure investment includes more money for UK railways than at any time since the Victorians.

He failed to mention that East West Rail wants to reopen the next part of the line, from Bicester to Bletchley, to link Oxfordshire with Milton Keynes. Nor did he mention EWR’s study to decide where to put a line between Bedford and Cambridge, thus completing a Cambridge – Oxford – Reading railway.

David Cameron took no questions. He thus avoided being asked why last week the Government announced a £512,000 study to build an “expressway” road between Cambridge and Chieveley via Oxford. Roads minister Andrew Jones says it would cut journey times. He doesn’t say how a 70mph road would be faster – or greener – than a 100mph railway.

Ministers seem unsure how much of this “expressway” would enlarge existing roads, and how much would spoil our countryside with new road. Since 2011, Lord Wolfson, who has given the Conservative party at least £53,600, has said it should be a motorway.

Oxfordshire County Council has asked residents whether congestion between Witney and Oxford should be tackled by public transport investment or dualling the A40. A “Varsity Expressway” would increase traffic on the A40, reducing any congestion relief.

The Government should scrap the expressway study, complete East West Rail and fund a public transport solution between Witney and Oxford.

Hugh Jaeger
Oxford