SIR – The article concerning aspects of the Worcester Transport Strategy ‘Rail station gets £500,000 facelift’ (Worcester News, June 7) is both timely and interesting.

Far be it for me to criticise such knowledgeable planners but it does appear to be a lot of old wine in new bottles.

What I had hoped to see was a radical strategic plan involving substantial investment in new commuter rail halts and a new Worcester Parkway station based on the outskirts of Worcester adjacent to the A44 and Stratford Road.

The city of Worcester can be justifiably proud of its university, which is the fastest growing in the UK.

Numbers are substantially higher than 10 years ago with many recruited from within a closely defined radius of the city and travelling on a daily basis.

In addition, commercial and retail concerns based in the city are growing.

Economic growth will arrive and planning for such is essential. Car parking is expensive and at times crossriver traffic is a nightmare.

In this jubilee year it is perhaps apposite to reflect on the Great Western Railway timetable for 1952.

It was possible then to travel from Evesham, Wyre Halt and Pershore to Foregate Street and Henwick Halt (for the university?) in about 40 minutes.

Such exotic places such as Rushwick Halt, Boughton Halt, Bransford Road and Newland Halt served Henwick and Foregate Street/Shrub Hill.

Trains were timed to coincide with office and retail hours. Commuters were well served.

The strategic plan will, I hope, consider the funding of the reopening of these stations axed by Beeching, so facilitating a decline in car travel and thus congestion/pollution.

The parkway concept has been discarded by our decision-makers on numerous occasions in the last 35 years.

Here is a classic example of where joined up strategic planning, linking Worcester by rail to major UK cities without changing in Birmingham and linking Worcester to outlying towns should now be in evidence.

Bus lanes and park and ride are good but are not a solution.

Giving stations a facelift is secondary to having stations for trains to actually travel to and from.

JOHN C NIXON
Pershore