Business leaders in Oxfordshire fear that the ten-year plan to improve Britain's railways will bypass the county.

The Strategic Rail Authority has outlined proposals to improve the rail network after public confidence was shattered by the Paddington and Hatfield crashes.

Worn out tracks, the collapse of Railtrack and strikes have added to a feeling of despair in the industry.

The 10-year plan, part of the Government's £80bn Transport 2010 strategy, calls for faster, reliable and more frequent train services, better integration with other forms of public transport and stronger powers for rail regulators.

Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott said: "On the railways, our aim by 2010 must be to rival the best in Europe or further afield."

Despite ambitious, long-term plans by rail companies and transport policy makers, there are doubts that Oxfordshire will see any significant improvements in the next few years.

Thames Valley Chamber of Commerce's chief executive Frank Stroud said: "The chamber will be consulting members on the detail of the plan. But already there are parts of it that are a disappointment."

In particular, the chamber is sceptical about Government hopes of raising £34bn from private investors.

Mr Stroud said: "Chamber members have already identified transport as a high priority issue for lobbying. Their local action plans set out the need for new lines, improved services and better rail station security.

"Locally, that includes lobbying for improvements on the Banbury- Oxford-Didcot-London rail line, supporting development of an Oxford-Cambridge rail route and the relocation of Oxford station to Oxpens as part of a transport hub.

"Businesses want to know if the Government's plan can match what is needed in the area."

Oxfordshire Chamber of Commerce policy manager Bill McCardle said many members were disappointed by the lack of detail and the Government's apparent lack of commitment to projects in the county.

He said: "The frustration businesses have is with transport policy shifting all the time. It's always 'jam tomorrow'.

"We want to see funding for local projects. What improvements will really be seen locally? There are schemes to improve things in Oxfordshire, but a reasonable timescale and commitment are needed. It's difficult to get facts or certainty from the Government.

"We cannot assume because there are billions of pounds going into transport that we will see any improvements in Oxfordshire.

"Unless we keep business moving, businesses may decide to look elsewhere, or not locate here in the first place. There are traffic jams and delays on trains all over the place.

"Businesses are no longer saying 'we want more roads', but asking for alternative transport to be given support. But the Government has made no commitment to provide these alternatives in Oxfordshire."

The county council is also worried about the future. Noel Newson, group manager for sustainable transport, said the council was concerned that the 10-year plan's focus on Oxfordshire was not sufficiently detailed.

He added: "There is a veiled threat from the Strategic Rail Authority that there won't be enough money available to complete the projects they would like to achieve, and that could put more pressure on local authorities.

"It is worrying that there is no provision made for Railtrack's plan to move Oxford station to a new site at Oxpens. We would like to see further details provided on cost implications and the possible timescale for this."

Strategic Rail Authority spokesman Paul Latham defended the plan, insisting Oxfordshire would make definite gains.

He said: "The Strategic Plan is a nationwide document, and contains positive news and certainty for all parts of the country, including Oxfordshire.

"In addition to developments for Oxfordshire being delivered through rail franchises, the plan has allocated significant funding, which will be spent around the country over the next 10 years."

This includes £430m of funding nationally for improvements to stations and services, £400m to improve punctuality and reliability and £700m for Railtrack-implemented modernisation of stations and track.

He said: "With the interest and involvement of local authorities and other stakeholders in and around Oxfordshire, there's every reason to expect that local people will benefit from these major funds.

"The SRA is committed to all parts of the rail network -- rural, urban and inter-city services alike."

Critics point out that the SRA's plan relies on huge investment from the private sector that is not guaranteed.

Currently, Chiltern Railways, which runs services from London Marylebone to Birmingham via Haddenham & Thame Parkway, Bicester North and Banbury, is the only passenger operator to make a significant financial commitment to improving railway infrastructure, trains and stations.

The response from other train companies is that they still have little or no incentive to invest.

First Great Western, which runs services from Paddington to the West Country and south Wales through Didcot and on the Cotswold Line between Oxford, Worcester and Hereford, manages one station in the county, Didcot Parkway, where disabled access has been improved recently.

Thames Trains, which runs most of Oxfordshire's rural stations, has few plans to invest in improvements.

Spokesman Jonathan Radley said: "Most of Oxfordshire's stations are small halts and not that busy. People prefer to come to the larger stations, where we have more frequent trains.

"It would cost about £500,000 to put in lifts for the disabled and restructure platforms to accommodate a steel bridge to connect platforms. The franchises are not long enough for us to see a return on investment in infrastructure."

Mr Radley pointed out that Oxfordshire customers had won some benefits.

He said: "In the past four years, we have invested £1.3m in Oxfordshire, improving the customer information system at Oxford. The CCTV system there cost £330,000. That's been very successful at reducing crime on platforms and in station car parks.

"In 1998, £560,000 was spent on a major upgrade of Oxford station's concourse.

"A dedicated train cleaning team is in place at Oxford and we have installed the Train Protection Warning System on all trains."

Mr Radley said the company had increased services on the Cotswold Line, which serves Hanborough, Charlbury, Kingham and a number of small halts.

Chiltern Rail Users' Group chairman Hugh Jones praised county transport officers for making important small gains for the travelling public.

He said: "The county and district councils are working hard on a host of practical small measures that, taken together, will actually improve quality of life for people in terms of transport, and give some meaning to the phrase 'integrated transport'.

"I'm more confident now than I was two or three years ago that Oxfordshire's transport planners can produce a host of small gains for citizens.

"I am, however, not confident that overall railway services will improve in Oxfordshire for a very long time. It's time the politicians got behind transport planners and helped make things happen."

Passenger firms could merge The Strategic Rail Authority is considering merging the franchises held by First Great Western and Thames Trains.

Thames Trains' contract is due to expire in 2004 and First Great Western's in 2006.

The aim of the move would be to make services more efficient. The SRA believes a merger would make better use of track capacity between Oxford, Didcot and London.

It suggests a new operator would get incentives for improved performance and customer satisfaction in return for a commitment to invest in new trains, extra services, improved journey times and in new and existing stations.

Both companies have tentatively welcomed the move, but neither has said whether it would consider bidding for the new franchise.

Thames Trains spokesman Jonathan Radley said the benefits to passengers could include better services. He said: "We have already tried to standardise timetables as much as possible. But with Railtrack still in the hands of administrators, there is uncertainty. The SRA wants to see some stability in the rail industry, which is good news. Some are calling for major changes to the way the rail industry is run. I don't think that's very helpful. Despite everything, we have shown, I believe, that we can improve."

First Great Western spokesman Elaine Wilde said the company wanted to be involved in the development of any new franchise. She said: "Combining franchises can offer quick benefits by creating extra capacity in London, without expensive and disruptive engineering work."