THE Cotswold Line is winning more passengers. Work to double-track part of the route for more frequent and reliable services is nearly complete.

In 2012, five 287-seat, 125mph Adelante trains may return to increase capacity.

At Hanborough station, passengers increased almost 50 per cent from 2006 to 2009. The station has parking for barely 50 cars, so commuters park on verges outside.

Cottsway Housing, local councillors and First Great Western want to turn a green field into housing and a 100-space car park. But parking never satisfies demand; it only attracts more cars.

This would increase traffic and hence congestion, emissions, health risks and casualties.

Up to 400 passengers per day use Hanborough station. A 100-space car park would consume a lot of land to serve only a minority.

Bus 242 serves Hanborough. Its first journey from Witney and North Leigh connects with the 0642 train from Hanborough to Paddington but the second misses the 0734 to Paddington by three minutes.

The first bus from Woodstock and Bladon misses the 0642 by one minute, there is no bus from Woodstock to catch the 0734 train and the next bus from Woodstock misses the 0801 to Paddington by five minutes.

The 1722 from Paddington has a reasonable bus connection at Hanborough to Woodstock but passengers for the bus to North Leigh and Witney would have to wait 30 minutes.

A car park has scant justification until the county council, which subsidises the 242, has tried scheduling its buses to meet the trains.

HUGH JAEGER (chairman, Bus Users UK Oxford Group) Park Close Oxford