Sir – Benedict le Vay (Letters, January 28) is way off the mark in accusing the “nimbys” of North Oxford of delaying the completion of the new Marylebone line. He seems unaware that the Government has upgraded the original Marylebone line to form a major east-west passenger and freight link, as part of the national spine. What was previously the equivalent of a small country lane will become a railway motorway.

No one opposes railway developments that transfer passengers and freight from road to rail. However, it is clear that this major upgrade will see a significant increase, 24/7, in the existing noise, vibration and pollution that many residents experience, with a consequent impact on health and well-being, particularly from long, fast freight trains running throughout the night close to bedrooms.

Residents are seeking the best possible mitigation measures against these increases, whereas Network Rail’s current proposals are the minimum that they think they can get away with.

When their proposals for section I are considered soon by the city council’s west area planning committee, residents are urging councillors to do what is within their powers to protect them and insist that Network Rail implements full mitigation measures against noise and vibration.

North Oxford “nimbys” are not responsible for the delays currently experienced. Local residents have kept to the deadlines for comments. The delays result from Network Rail’s own incompetence, as demonstrated in the electrification fiasco.

It was only recently that they realised that section I of the line (Oxford station to Wolvercote) actually existed at all – it had been overlooked because of an administrative error! And recently Network Rail was still erecting noise barriers in the section beyond Oxford Parkway, despite a planning condition that this work must be finished before the new service started.

Adrian Olsen
Oxford