RESIDENTS are to make a last-ditch appeal to reduce train speeds through North Oxford on the new £130m Rail link to Marylebone.

They looked to have lost their battle for a 40mph limit when the Transport Secretary last month approved the new Oxford to London rail link, along with train speeds of 70mph.

But city councillor for Wolvercote, Michael Gotch, is to write to Chiltern Railways to appeal for the introduction of a 50mph limit for a trial period.

Residents claim their lives would be disrupted by noise and vibration from trains running through Wolvercote at high speed.

More than 300 residents and parents with children at Wolvercote Primary School signed a petition in the summer calling for a 40mph limit on the track, which was passed to the Government.

Mr Gotch believes that a trial would show that the speed limit through North Oxford would have a “negligible” effect on train times between London and Bicester. He said it would only add 30 seconds to the journey time.

Mr Gotch said: “ There has been a change in the company’s management structure over the past 12 months. We want them simply to try a 50mph limit. If it doesn’t work then they can come back to us.”

Petition organiser Keith Dancey said: “People here feel that they have been steamrollered. People live within touching distance of the track. The speed limit would add so little time to the journey.”

The residents’ campaign was boosted in the summer when the then Transport Secretary ordered that the planning inquiry should be resumed to re-examine planning conditions to mitigate noise and vibrations, along with the risk to bats in the Wolvercote Tunnel.

Headteacher of Wolvercote Primary School Frances Bartlett said: “Since 2010, the governing body of Wolvercote Primary School has been active in defending the children and the school from any disruption to the children’s education from Chiltern Railways’ proposal.

“We remain concerned that any change to the nearby railway line may have a detrimental effect, and have to trust that Chiltern Railways’ stated commitment to controlling noise and vibration is effective and that the children’s learning opportunities outside and inside are protected.”

Chiltern Railways spokesman Emma Gascoigne said: “The Secretary of State is satisfied that imposing speed limits for those purposes would be unnecessary.

“The speed we are proposing through the Wolvercote/North Oxford area is 70mph.

“On the rest of the route it is 100mph except on the Bicester Chord where speed will be 40mph.”

Hugh Jaeger, spokesman for the Thames Valley branch of Rail Future, said: “If you spent a fortune upgrading the line and then slap an artificial speed limit on, it defeats the object.”

Opponents have 42 days from the time of the decision to apply to the High Court to challenge it.