BACK in November the Office of Rail Regulation refused a grant to expand the railway line between Kemble and Swindon to two lines.

At the time, it was dreadful news, but there’s now a ray of hope as the Department of Transport has decided that it’s worth paying for a feasibility study for the £42 million project.

We need a decent rail system for our local economy.

It would be great to see the track returned to its former glory. The rising popularity of the motor car in the late 1960s led to a reduced emphasis on rail and the track was consequently downgraded to a single line.

Presently the single track bottlenecks and restricts the capacity of the railway as trains have to wait for oncoming trains.

But now with rail travel going up by 50 per cent over the last decade and more and more people commuting long distances, it’s time for a rethink.

In terms of taking congestion away from roads and environmental concerns two tracks has to make sense.

It makes sense not only for Stroud, but also for the whole county.

Businesses, councils, politicians from all political persuasions and other organisations have worked together to try to ensure that the rail-link, which links Gloucestershire to London and the south of the country, is restored so that our future is secure and sustainable.

In fact, the joint efforts of the Stroud, Cotswold and Cheltenham MPs, all of different political persuasions, is laudable.

Let’s hope that everything works out and it really is full steam ahead this time round.

On another matter completely, I’d just like to extend my thanks to everyone for their understanding during the recent snow.

As you’ll know, the conditions prevented our crews from collecting rubbish and recycling for a few days.

We really appreciate your patience and hopefully everything’s now back to normal.

* See this week's SNJ for the full story on the latest development regarding the Kemble to Swindon line.

* Do you agree with Chas Fellows? Add your own comments here...