| Archived Save the Train forum articles - 2005 to 2010. See below
Groups campaigning for an appropriate service - please tell me more - 1259/3589 Written by admin (Graham Ellis) on Tuesday, 30th January 2007 I'm building up a list of active groups and commentators with a good web presence who are part of the current campaign for an appropriate train service in the FGW area. Re: Groups campaigning for an appropriate service - please tell me more - 1259/3598 Written by IhateFGW on Tuesday, 30th January 2007 Hello Re: my blog, ihatefirstgreatwestern, I've had a reply from someone who's worried about using the word 'hate'. I want to make it clear that FGW staff will never be targeted in my campaign. Any badge-wearing will be accompanied by some kind of leaflet for staff who may feel offended or upset. This action would be targeted solely at the people who make the decisions to cut services, cancel trains, sell off rolling stock etc. So please don't think it's aggressive, I do think it needs to be this strong to get attention. And, the fact is, many days I do hate the company, I can't describe it in any other way. But I'm always polite to the staff, it's not their fault. Sorry if this is posted in the wrong place, but I can't find the reply to my last post. Please keep visiting and give me your feedback. Many thanks. Re: Groups campaigning for an appropriate service - please tell me more - 1259/3601 Written by admin (Graham Ellis) on Tuesday, 30th January 2007 [quote author=IhateFGW link=topic=1259.msg3598#msg3598 date=1170158858] Sorry if this is posted in the wrong place, but I can't find the reply to my last post. [/quote] Anywhere that you feel is right ... is right by us. Your earlier post was towards the end of a thread that had wandered a bit here. I did express a bit of concern there about the word "hate". Personally, I have no problem with it. Appearing on badges on thousands of coats could be seen as - well - encouraging a rebellion and riot. Better focus at that level on what you want, not what you dislike? Re: Groups campaigning for an appropriate service - please tell me more - 1259/3613 Written by AFCChris on Wednesday, 31st January 2007 http://oxrailaction.wordpress.com/ is another group who are very active with regards to the rubbish service between Oxford and London. Cheers Chris Re: Groups campaigning for an appropriate service - please tell me more - 1259/3614 Written by Lee on Wednesday, 31st January 2007 Check out the excellent new More Train , Less Strain website (link below.) http://www.moretrainlessstrain.co.uk/ Re: Groups campaigning for an appropriate service - please tell me more - 1259/4094 Written by admin (Graham Ellis) on Tuesday, 27th February 2007 And here's the Charlbury Commuter Blog ... [url]http://www.charlbury.info/cgi-bin/dtrains.cgi[/url] Re: Groups campaigning for an appropriate service - please tell me more - 1259/8248 Written by Industry Insider on Wednesday, 17th October 2007 [quote author=AFCChris link=topic=1259.msg3613#msg3613 date=1170238991] http://oxrailaction.wordpress.com/ is another group who are very active with regards to the rubbish service between Oxford and London. Cheers Chris [/quote] This site seems to have gone a bit quiet with no news update since August, and no comment on the draft timetable which has been released for quite a while now. Strange considering the widescale changes to the Oxford-London peak hours timings from December and 'passionate' feelings of the people who run it! Re: Groups campaigning for an appropriate service - please tell me more - 1259/9613 Written by Industry Insider on Wednesday, 23rd January 2008 [quote author=Industry Insider link=topic=1259.msg8248#msg8248 date=1192658631] [quote author=AFCChris link=topic=1259.msg3613#msg3613 date=1170238991] http://oxrailaction.wordpress.com/ is another group who are very active with regards to the rubbish service between Oxford and London. Cheers Chris [/quote] This site seems to have gone a bit quiet with no news update since August, and no comment on the draft timetable which has been released for quite a while now. Strange considering the widescale changes to the Oxford-London peak hours timings from December and 'passionate' feelings of the people who run it! [/quote] At last an update on this site. After nothing in August when they were moaning that they had not yet received details about the December timetable, suddenly a couple of posts regarding the fares 'strike' next Monday and leaflets being handed out on the trains advertising it - following FGW's announcement they are re-considering their participation [url]http://www.firstgreatwestern.co.uk/Content.aspx?id=2151[/url] Whether 'OxRailLackOfAction' are happy about their principal concern of available seats from Oxford in the morning peak or not, who knows? I suspect they are keeping quiet on that one as from my observations, with more trains starting from Oxford and HST's/10 Car Adelantes replacing 5-Car Adelantes and Turbos the number of seats available in the morning peak is better than it has ever been. Whilst I sympathise with their concerns over pricing and reliability/punctuality, I do wish that people that operate these sites and run these campaigns give a consistent and balanced output - giving praise where it's due. That's one thing that has struck me about the TransWilts campaign, with Graham (and others) remaining positive and dedicated despite all sorts of set-backs. Re: Groups campaigning for an appropriate service - please tell me more - 1259/9616 Written by Lee on Thursday, 24th January 2008 One of the main reasons that Ox Rail Action have been quiet is because their original leader moved away from the area, and it took a while for them to get back in gear after that. Personally, I have always found them to be helpful and co-operative. I hear that their recent meeting with Andrew Haines was described as "constructive" by both sides. Re: Groups campaigning for an appropriate service - please tell me more - 1259/9648 Written by Industry Insider on Friday, 25th January 2008 [quote author=Lee link=topic=1259.msg9616#msg9616 date=1201137396] One of the main reasons that Ox Rail Action have been quiet is because their original leader moved away from the area, and it took a while for them to get back in gear after that. [/quote] Fine and understandable, but would a note on the website to that effect have been too much to ask? Re: Groups campaigning for an appropriate service - please tell me more - 1259/9659 Written by Lee on Friday, 25th January 2008 Ox Rail Action have decided to suspend their "Fare Strike" action. Quote : [quote]Ox Rail Action has decided to suspend its fare strike due to take place on Monday following the recent announcement by FGW to double compensation to passengers for poor performance. After discussions with regular travellers, we have decided to hold off from immediate action since FGW has now met our key demand - to effectively freeze season ticket prices. We welcome First Great Western's offer of double compensation and the admission that service has not been up to scratch. We are pleased FGW has acknowledged that they need to change. However, OxRail Action has informed First Great Western that it must improve the punctuality and reliability of its trains. If it does not, we will reschedule the strike. We have communicated this to Andrew Haines, First Great Western's Chief Operating Officer, who has promised regular meetings with OxRail Action to ensure Oxford passengers are kept informed and listened to. He also told us: "We have shown we can't take our customers for granted and perpetually raise fares. There will be fare rises going forward but we would want to be sensitive about how they are applied, and we haven't ruled out extensions to the discount if performance hasn't improved." It is vital that the voice of passengers continues to be heard. We will be holding a meeting soon to discuss our next steps. Please come. OxRail Action is made up of regular travellers who volunteer to help. The more who work with us, the more effective we can be. Please tell your fellow travellers to register with our email list. Details on the website at www.oxrailaction.wordpress.com In Bath, Bristol, Frome, Yate and other stations in the West Country, a strike organised by pressure group More Trains Less Strain will still take place on Monday. If any Oxford passengers still wish to register their protest, a fare strike ticket can be downloaded from the Bath group's website at http://www.moretrainlessstrain.co.uk/about_us [/quote] Re: Groups campaigning for an appropriate service - please tell me more - 1259/10279 Written by deep throat on Friday, 22nd February 2008 http://www.morgle.com/firstgreatwestern.htm Sums it all up!! Re: Groups campaigning for an appropriate service - please tell me more - 1259/10298 Written by Lee on Saturday, 23rd February 2008 The song was of great interest, deep throat, but I think that one post is enough to alert members to its existence. Welcome to the forum, by the way. 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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