Railfuture members are helping to draw up lists of small rail improvement projects, in response to a request from Transport Minister John Spellar.

At a meeting with Mr Spellar this month, we argued that modest investment in a selected numbers of small to medium schemes - for instance passing loops and restoration of double tracks that had been singled during earlier economy measures - could bring substantial quantifiable benefits in terms of train reliability and frequency within about three years.

We also argued that station and line reopenings, such as Ebbw Vale, Frankley (Birmingham), the east-west rail link from East Anglia to Oxford, would bring about considerable benefits in enhancing rail use.

Since privatisation, schemes of this nature have proceeded very slowly due partly to the bureaucracy resulting from many players being involved.

We agreed to supply the minister with a list of examples of schemes in this category which might be financed by the enhanced Strategic Rail Authority's Rail Passenger Scheme Partnership.

Please send any such ideas for your area to Dr Michael Caton, Wylde House Cottage, Gloucester Road, Ledbury, Herefordshire HR8 2JE by 24th January, explaining briefly the benefits that schemes could deliver.

Dr Caton, the president of Railfuture, will be collating the Railfuture responses.

Telephone 01531-635036 (not after 21.30).