MADAM – These days I get a considerable amount of literature from the Conservative party, much of it telling me how hard our MP Mr Carmichael has worked to get the railway line from Kemble to Swindon doubled.

It seems an awful lot of money has been spent just to save a few minutes on some journeys.

I would have thought the situation could have been improved with a little adjustment of the timetables.

Now, I read Mr Carmichael wants to build a new station north of Stonehouse, when Stonehouse has a perfectly good station in the town, where it should be.

To have an out of town station would mean travellers would have to use their cars to use the proposed facility, hardly a desirable situation.

For Bristol, all that needs to be done is to re-open the Stonehouse Station on the line to Bristol, accessible by foot for most Stonehouse residents.

Having read many of the letters on this subject in the SNJ, I can only conclude that our MP's actions are not about improving rail services for local residents, but to help the government and Railtrack provide a bypass for the Swindon to Bristol line when it is closed for engineering work.

If this is the case, it will result in an increase in rail traffic from Swindon, down the Golden Valley through Stroud. Are the local viaducts in a fit state to cope with the extra traffic?

For a long time vegetation has been degrading the mortar, and in places at Capel's Mill, bricks are being dislodged. There are also cracks in various areas.

Now the work to double the track from Swindon has been completed, can Mr Carmichael work his magic on the numerous viaducts so they get the maintenance they so desperately need.

J Bond

Chalford Hill