Save the Train Calling for the return of an APPROPRIATE train service linking the five largest towns in Wiltshire. Salisbury - Trowbridge - Melksham - Chippenham - Swindon Background Service to December 2006 - five trains each way daily. Current service - two round trips daily, from Swindon at 06:18 and 18:45. Service growth - 2001 to 2006 - 35% compound per annum according to ORR. In other words, passenger numbers rose to 120,000 per annum - or about 35 per train, which is not bad for a single coach service. Estimated journeys in 2007 - under 10,000 - due to dreadful timing. There IS a need for passengers to travel up and down this corridor - witness the busy road and the fact that the bus route capacity Trowbridge to Swindon has just been doubled (journey time 95 minutes v 35 on the train) but NOT in the early hours before the morning peak, nor mid-evening, which are the only two services currently on offer. So why were the cuts made? - Because of Government specification based on out of date passenger numbers and an assumption of virtually no growth. Future First Great Western, the Department for Transport and Wiltshire Council (the three key pleyers) now ALL understand that the current service is NOT appropriate. "Save the Train" and other campaign groups and interested parties are working with them to get at least some way towards that. With the extra trains just announced for the "West Fleet" of FGW, there should now be one coach - all it takes to make a huge improvement - available. However, it is NOT a foregone conclusion that it will actually happen, but we ARE pushing on a door that may no longer be locked against us. Suggestion. a) Retain the existing trains AND b) Add extra trains a 3-hourly service from Salisbury to Swindon and back, run be a single class 153 train. The timetable would be - APPROX
Salisbury - 07:25, 10:20, 13:20, 16:20 calling at Warminster, Dilton Marsh Westbury - 07z00, 08:00, 11:00, 14:00, 17:00, 19z35 calling at Trowbridge, Melksham, Chippenham Swindon - 07z45, 08:45, 11:45, 14:45, 17:45, 20z20	Swindon - 06:20, 08:55, 11:55, 14:55, 17z55, 18:45 calling at Chippenham, Melksham,Trowbridge Westbury - 07:00, 09:40, 12:40, 15:40, 18z40, 19:30 carrying on via Dilton Marsh, Warminster Salisbury - 07:20, 10:00, 13:00, 16:00, 20:10
(Services marked "z" run Swindon - Westbury only) How can YOU make this option happen? * Let the county council know - e.g. fleurderhephilipe@wiltshire.gov.uk * Let First Great Western know - e.g. andrew.haines@firstgroup.com * Let your MP know - e.g. murrisona@parliament.uk or ancramm@parliament.uk * Let the Department for Transport know. - e.g. peter.west@dft.gsi.gov.uk
Further Information? "Save the Train" http://www.savethetrain.org.uk Contact via graham@wellho.net 404, The Spa, Melksham, Wiltshire, SN12 6QL Phone: 01225 708225 Document prepared 28th February 2008	Customers across FGW area... See the "First Great Western Coffeeshop" - a web forum run by FGW customers for other FGW Customers, with over 100 new posts every day. http://www.firstgreatwestern.info/coffeeshop And, yes, that site is looked after by the "TransWilts" team too.