If only Dr Beeching, had had a crystal ball he might have foreseen the development of Swindon as a commercial and industrial centre, and the associated incursion of housing estates into the surrounding countryside.

The reduction of rail track, station facilities, railway staff and customer facilities, which he saw as savings in the mid 1950s could well have been an investment for us today.

It would have saved expensive town bypasses, additional roads and parking facilities, not to mention the benefits to the ozone layer and global warming.

What should we be doing now, so that in another 50 years they will not be blaming us for our lack of foresight?

Just think how convenient it would have been for workers simply to stroll from their front doors in Cricklade, Minety, Wootton Bassett, Cirencester or Purton, to a local railway station and be transported to work in comfort, rather than sitting in traffic jams, inhaling fumes, waiting to get into overcrowded and overpriced car parks, only to have to repeat the same process at the end of each stressful day.

With the continuing spread of housing around Swindon, which we are told is necessary, then perhaps it is not too late to stop and consider the future, and how we can best make use of the railway system which we still have.

While it would probably not be practical to reconstruct some stations, although the Swindon and Cricklade Railway Society is making some interesting developments, it would not be impossible for the former stations along the routes of the lines which were spared the axe, to be re-opened, to provide an efficient commuter service, with adequate parking at stations, at an economical rate.

At the same time, it would save on traffic congestion, air pollution, oil resources, eroding of land reserves for highway construction, and the need to provide town centre parking facilities.

Not to mention the benefits to the health of the workforce gained by exercise walking/cycling to and from the station, less stress-related illnesses by not having to drive, the advantages of socialising with fellow commuters and the reduction of respiratory illnesses resulting from reduced pollution.

A J BAKER

Fairford, Glos