Sir – Mr Dancey (Letters, March 28) does not quite seem to have understood my point regarding the bats in Wolvercote Tunnel.
My argument was that the railway built the tunnel in the first place and, despite reductions in services for some years, has never stopped using the tunnel for any length of time which might lead to an argument that the line had been abandoned.
Therefore, the bats moved in subsequent to the coming of the railway and I fail to see why the presence of the bats should restrict the railway’s ability to make more frequent use of its tunnel.
Also, contrary to what Mr Dancey says, I made no comment at all in my earlier letter about line speeds through the tunnel and I would not disagree that if heavier freight services are running on the line then Railtrack should contribute towards the cost of ensuring that vibration is eliminated or reduced or that line speeds through the tunnel should be restricted — while not overlooking the fact that residents in the area ought to have been aware of the tunnel’s existence when they purchased their properties.
Although I understand the growth of the road system and the attendant light pollution has created a problem for the bats, are we proposing to stop or seriously restrict redevelopment of the railway line, which ultimately leads to more traffic and more pollution of all kinds?
William Stebbings, Gretton