To the surprise of many, perhaps, under this government we have seen the largest investment in our railways since Victorian times.

That’s good news for the travelling public and for the many local people working supplying the rail industry, including at Siemens in Chippenham and Knorr-Bremse in Melksham.

Improving local rail links is also one of the ways we are building a stronger economy in Wiltshire. Having helped to deliver more services and better facilities in Melksham and Chippenham, I have returned to the more ambitious goal of getting Corsham station re-opened.

Last year, we finally got the new TransWilts service up and running between Westbury and Swindon, funded by the Coalition government and serving Trowbridge, Melksham and Chippenham. It’s something I’d been working on with the TransWilts Community Rail Partnership for a number of years.

I had the pleasure of meeting the first commuters on the new service and welcoming Transport Minister Susan Kramer aboard to see its success.

I recently secured from the Transport Secretary a timetable for the construction of a new footbridge and lifts at Chippenham station, also funded by the Coalition government.

I and local campaigners have called for step-free access at the station for years, and I’m delighted that it should finally become a reality this year. Having secured those extra 80 services a week, it’s great that these improvements will enable more people to benefit from them.

Electrification of the Great Western main line brings an opportunity for new services in Wiltshire, which could include stops at Corsham. The new East-West link between Bedford and Oxford could also be extended to Bristol or Cardiff along existing track, providing a further opportunity to connect Corsham to Bath and larger cities by rail.

I have pursued both avenues in the House of Commons and in letters to Ministers, and continued to do so at Transport Questions last week. In his response, the Minister seemed to think this was a project for the next decade, but I pressed him about the possibility of including these services in the next Great Western franchise, due to start in September 2015.

My next constituency surgeries will be at the Pound Arts Centre in Corsham tomorrow, 10–11.30am and at my office in Avonbridge House, Chippenham on Tuesday, 1.30pm–3pm.