Positive news on investment in the Oxford to Paddington Rail route that Hugh Jaeger refers in his letter (Oxford Mail, January 4) does nothing to justify the Bicester/Oxford link on the Marylebone route to London.

It reveals what little long term value this has for Oxford to London commuters at the cost of delays to road and rail users and unbearable noise for Bicester residents.

With Oxford to Paddington electrified and capacity at Reading increased, why would anyone, even those using the Water Eaton Park & Ride (provided by subsidised Chiltern Railways) want to travel by a slow diesel train taking more than an hour to Marylebone, when under an hour is the norm with Great Western diesel trains to Paddington now.

If GW peak trains to Reading are standing room only now, they should run direct services to Oxford non-stop.

After all, isn’t that one of the reasons Reading station is being remodelled?

Of course, the economics of GW doing that, on a route that has had billions of pounds of taxpayers’ money spent on it to increase capacity, will be be undermined by other subsidised rail operators on competing routes.

No wonder the country is bankrupt.

Hugh says more trains will use Bicester Town than Bicester North. But how does this benefit Bicester commuters?

Trains leave Bicester North for Marylebone at 15 minute intervals. No timetable is needed. You can just turn up and go.

With the service divided between two stations, time saved by taxpayer-funded line speed improvements to Marylebone will become time spent waiting on the platform for the next train. Having more trains diverted is not good news for anyone within earshot of this curve.

There will be more noise, and more delays to road and rail users. This line is of no benefit to Bicester residents and commuters at all.

As for the necessity for a 100mph line, is that really what Islip residents have to endure just to make an alternative route to London competitive for a few short years?

Since the Mail’s The Issue in November asked the question “should a second Oxford-London rail link be built”, electrification of the Paddington route to Oxford has been announced.

It is now even more the case than it was in my original response that this second route to London is unaffordable.

Colin Morris, Lyneham Road, Bicester