Sir – I have every sympathy with Dr Nixon, who lamented (Forwarnings come to pass, November 6) the current plans for Worcestershire Parkway rail station.

He is one of many people who have worked tirelessly over the years to bring about this station, and I am one of the current players who is very grateful for all their preparatory work.

Yes, only Cardiff/Nottingham trains will stop there in the first instance, but we are confident we can persuade Cross Country Trains to add further services in the near future.

The journey from Penzance to Aberdeen takes 13.5 hours. I am sure they could add the couple of minutes needed to stop at Parkway...

Secondly, we are close to improving the speed of trains from Worcester to London, and this can be done without dualling the line in Norton or adding a second platform.

The important sections for dualling are Wolvercot to Hanborough and Pershore to Evesham. That will allow two trains an hour to Paddington, both taking about two hours for the journey.

In the North Cotswold Line Task Force, we are confident that we can make a good business case for this investment, and, with the work on HS2 on hold, now is a good time to press ahead.

Cllr Ken Pollock

Cabinet Member Responsible for Economy and Infrastructure, Worcestershire County Council