| Archived Save the Train forum articles - 2005 to 2010. See below
06:19 Swindon - Westbury - 1127/3231 Written by admin (Graham Ellis) on Friday, 19th January 2007 I saw that this train was running this morning and popped down to Melksham Station to see how well it was loaded. All was quiet at the station, and for the first time that I can recall the gate to the platform was shut.  An empty car park.  And the train arrived - only a couple of minutes late - carrying fresh air. Re: 06:19 Swindon - Westbury - 1127/3246 Written by Sion Bretton on Friday, 19th January 2007 I got on the 7.17 this AM 1 off 2 on 13 already on the train. Re: 06:19 Swindon - Westbury - 1127/3248 Written by streety7 on Friday, 19th January 2007 This is completely shocking. To me that is a definite sign they want to close the station, and that they DON'T want people to use the service - so they can get these new loading figures and show them off to the DfT so they will decide 'O look, no-one is using this station anymore. Stop all services through there and close the station.' Why is it easier for the Dft to underwrite a station closure and make things worse than lease stock and make things better? None of the pieces fit together. Closing the gate with a train due to be calling at the station is just unacceptable in my view. Also if anyone really wanted to get in, the fence doesn't look that high.. Regarding the 0717, could people actually get in and out of the station by this time because of the gate? Or was it opened by then? Re: 06:19 Swindon - Westbury - 1127/3249 Written by Lee on Friday, 19th January 2007 [quote author=Chris Street link=topic=1127.msg3248#msg3248 date=1169224816]Why is it easier for the Dft to underwrite a station closure and make things worse than lease stock and make things better? None of the pieces fit together.[/quote] Because its cheaper. Christian Wolmar "Axe To Fall On Rail Network" article (link below.) http://www.christianwolmar.co.uk/articles/independent/jan29,06.shtml "Ministers are preparing ways of closing or "mothballing" large sections of the railway network, according to an official document which was slipped out without publicity last week." "Dozens of branch lines and secondary routes could shut, in what would be the biggest rethink of the network since the Beeching report in the 1960s, which led to the closure of 4,000 miles of railway and nearly half the nation's stations. Loss-making services would be transferred on to buses, as a means of reducing the Re: 06:19 Swindon - Westbury - 1127/3253 Written by Sion Bretton on Friday, 19th January 2007 I go to off the 19.08 today 19/1/07 3 off nill on 13 left on the train. And the 19.50 is cancelled ??? Have we had a 100% train service since the new timetable? Re: 06:19 Swindon - Westbury - 1127/3256 Written by admin (Graham Ellis) on Saturday, 20th January 2007 [quote author=Sion Bretton link=topic=1127.msg3253#msg3253 date=1169235557] Have we had a 100% train service since the new timetable? [/quote] I've looked back to 18th December. As far as I can see, the only days that the 06:44, 07:17, 19:08 and 19:50 have all run are the 2nd and 3rd January, with a maximum delay on those days of 19 minutes. Re: 06:19 Swindon - Westbury - 1127/3261 Written by Graz on Saturday, 20th January 2007 That's just sad :'( it's no wonder people have lost trust in the trains and have deserted Melksham station in droves. I'm pretty confident, however, that should a decent train service be implemented again this trust will be regained. Re: 06:19 Swindon - Westbury - 1127/3263 Written by admin (Graham Ellis) on Saturday, 20th January 2007 [quote author=Graz link=topic=1127.msg3261#msg3261 date=1169287135] I'm pretty confident, however, that should a decent train service be implemented again this trust will be regained. [/quote] Yes, indeed - the up then down of the service has amply illustrated the linkage. We need: a) A return to a reliable service, promised from this Monday (if you believe Alison Forster's advert in the Bath paper) or the end of the month (an "at the latest" date given to me by Andrew Griffiths") b) A strong, local advertising campaign for the service once it IS reliable again. I would think that First should pay for this campaign as a gesture of goodwill and faith after all the heartache caused. link to index of articles |
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Save the Train was the campaign to bring an approriate train service back to and through Melksham. Most big contributors are still around writing at the Coffee shop forum where new members are very welcome. The train has been saved - sort of - we have stepped back up from an unusable service to a poorish one but it's doing very well. We did that through setting up the TransWilts Community Rail Partnership. That fulfilled its early objectives; it has been taken over by local and regional government types who are now doing medium and long term work. The team from this forun can also be found at the Melksham Rail User Group (which was the Melksham Rail Development Group at the time these articles were written and we had no users. We mustn't loose sight, though, that the train service remains poor and needs our community support in marketing and campaigning to keep it going in a positive direction ... and all the more so when we're expecting to find a different normallity once we get out of the Coronavirus Pandemic and head for zero carbon via the climate crisis. Yes, it's saved ... it's now a key community facility ... the need for enhancement and the strong and near-universal local support remain, and the rail industry and goverment remain slow to move and provide the enhancements even to level us up with other towns. Please support the Melksham Rail User Group - now very much in partnership rather than protest with the rail industry and local government, including GWR, TransWilts and unitary and town councils. And please use the trains and buses, and cycle and walk when you can. -- Graham Ellis, (webmaster), February 2021 | |||
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