Sir - Keith Mitchell's response (Letters, March 14) to Hugh Jaeger's challenge for evidence of the unsustainability of transport arrangements at the proposed eco-town of Shipton-on-Cherwell seems slightly unrealistic.

He expects some 12,500 people to leave such a town (with 5,000 houses) in the morning and return in the evening, and that all these people would need to use trains, presumably in the Banbury as well as the Oxford direction.

Whilst the use of trains is certainly better than if they all used cars, one would imagine that proper cycle paths would be constructed to enable people to reach nearby destinations, such as Kidlington, with ease. Buses would obviously be available too. These days, home-working is often a real possibility, and many people are also able to work flexible hours. There might also be some availability of employment within such an eco-town as well. So, a sudden rush by everyone for a morning train would seem unlikely.

One would hope that by the time such eco-towns are built, the government of the day would have the sense to have planned ahead. In this case, increasing the rail capacity of the Oxford-Banbury line by re-signalling, and providing trains adequate to seat people in comfort would be well within the capabilities of any administration worth its salt.

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