YES, Stephen Crabb (March 7): we need a far faster rail link to Cardiff and beyond. I say, let’s save fuel too!

The crucial infrastructure item already exists: the Swansea Avoiding line running directly from just east of Llanelli to Briton Ferry.

It cuts out the punishing climbs to Cockett and Skewen; most importantly, it avoids the hugely time-wasting turnaround at Swansea plus the loop to Neath and back: shorter, and greener.

Of course, this still leaves that tedious turnaround at Carmarthen. So, Mr Crabb, never mind the pros and cons of a Swansea Parkway station – should we not investigate the feasibility of reinstating the original Carmarthen Junction station as Carmarthen Parkway?

A huge area of west and mid Wales would benefit.

Could a Western Telegraph reader with knowledge of timetabling tell us how fast a 125 from Milford Haven could reach Cardiff if it didn’t reverse at Carmarthen and ran non-stop from Llanelli to Port Talbot…?

And then Paddington, if it ran non-stop thereafter?

This is a perfectly valid suggestion: to better serve points further north, some West Coast Main Line trains from Euston make their first stop at Lancaster, 207 miles out.

CHRISTOPHER JESSOP

Independent Energy Consultant Marloes