Sir – Reading the article about the overcrowding of trains (August 11): this increasing overcrowding can only mean that more and more of the people who work in London are living some distance outside that city and are having to commute.

It seems obvious that there is a considerable need for far more living accommodation within, or close, to London, or should thought be given to the building of a new town?

Before encouraging the construction of more houses in Oxford, and its surrounds, more effort should be made, by the Government, to get these commuters closer to their places of work.

Doing this would have quite a number of advantages. Besides taking the pressure off the trains it would help to ease the demand for houses locally, cut down on the amount of time wasted travelling and, last but not least, cut the amount of fuel used to transport all these people, not only by train but also by bus and car and, as a result, reduce the carbon footprint.

Derrick Holt, Headington