Sir In two of the most bizarre episodes in railway history the station at Aycliffe and the station at Hurworth and Croft on Tees were shut down unnecessarily just when they were needed the most. They have main train lines running right through them. Newton Aycliffe has a station on the Bishop Auckland branch line but the east coast mainline direct to Durham and Newcastle passes right by Aycliffe village with no direct access to it for local people. Hurworth and Croft station was the first stop on the now vanished Richmond line but is actually on the east coast mainline. Can we ask the parliamentary candidates for the Sedgefield constituency if they have any views at all on re-opening these stations? What a great pity Tony Blair did not take matters in hand when he was the Prime Minister and MP for Sedgefield. Young people today can scarcely afford driving lesson let alone car insurance. They need fast efficient good public transport which they don’t have now, to study opportunities and the jobs market in Durham, Newcastle, Northallerton Thirsk and York. Nigel F Boddy, Solicitor