Sir — Chiltern Railways' excellent plan to create an alternative route from Oxford to London via Bicester and High Wycombe has no starting date as yet.

This link only requires a short length of curve to join the Bicester Town line to the main Bicester to Marylebone line.

Why should such a small engineering work require four or more years to complete? Even the upgrading of the Oxford to Bicester line and building the new Water Eaton station could surely be accomplished in less time than that.

Let us hope that Geoff Hoon, the newly-appointed Transport Minister, sees the environmental benefits of improved rail links, and acts to implement this scheme more quickly.

David Eldridge, Secretary, Railfuture, Thames Valley Branch, Berinsfield