THE proposal by Chiltern Railways to open the Cowley branch line to passenger trains is welcome.

However, they don’t go far enough.

At the public meeting on transport in Oxford I made the point to the leader of Oxfordshire County Council that, to be useful for passengers, the line – which currently runs from Oxford station to Cowley, needs to be expanded in the other direction to the north if it is to serve the resident population on the eastern fringes of the city.

Eventually the line should continue round to join up with the main line near Water Eaton and Pear Tree.

No mention is made of extending the line to serve the Barton and Cowley Marsh residential areas.

Chiltern Railways is proposing to double the number of tracks available between Oxford and Didcot but there is no mention of upgrading the existing signalling and track side equipment.

Given the number of signalling and points problems in that area over the past year, serious investment is obviously needed.

If the line is to serve commuters from outside Oxford, what bus or cycling provision will there be?

Currently bus services to both the Science Park and the Business Park are limited.

As a resident who lives not that far away from either I have no direct bus service.

So I give these proposals a qualified welcome because it seems far more work needs to be done to achieve joined-up thinking.

HAZEL DAWE
Treasurer, Oxfordshire Green Party
Bulan Road
Oxford