Silo mentality

He makes the case for the new station on the basis of the railway needs and the difficulty of meeting these at the current site; what he doesn’t mention is that only by moving to a new site can a proper transport interchange be created, with genuine connectivity to bus services, and comprehensive facilities for bicycles, all easily and attractively accessible from the city centre.

Relocation would also take station traffic out of Frideswide Square, making realistic the possibility of solving another problem. A report last year demonstrated that imaginative redevelopment of stations produced a 30 per cent increase in surrounding property values.

Doing this at Oxford could have the same effect, as well as providing opportunities for new commercial development, and this could be the key to funding any additional cost which such a comprehensive transport hub might incur. We have lobbied Government ministers, our MPs, county and city council members and officers, Network Rail, all the potential train operators, the Local Enterprise Partnership and other important figures. The issue was raised in a parliamentary debate and the logic of our arguments has received universal support, but no commitment.

Yet, as William Crossley asks, what is the point in spending huge sums to create a flawed solution to just the train problems, when we have a truly unique opportunity to provide Oxford with a landmark gateway in the West End, to boost the character of the whole area, and to carry all our public transport systems into the 21st century.

It would be a real tragedy if this opportunity were to be thrown away for lack of leadership, ‘silo mentality’ and penny-pinching on the huge Network Rail infrastructure budget.

Peter Thompson, Chairman, Oxford Civic Society