| Archived Save the Train forum articles - 2005 to 2010. See below
Community rail - or community support - for the TransWilts? - 1345/3779 Written by admin (Graham Ellis) on Tuesday, 6th February 2007 The narrow, and wider, community is really starting to pull together over the local / regional train issue and the "TransWilts" and I'm thinking that - with the proposals for a 2-hourly service from the end of his year, the petition, more press expose that now would be an excellent time to co-ordinate and to look at setting up some more formal, active, current community support. As an early step, I'll probably approach the DfT about Community Rail Designation so that [s]if[/s] when we get the proper service level we can help it grow, flourish ... and I have a list of over 2 dozen other organisations too. Re: Community rail - or community support - for the TransWilts? - 1345/3787 Written by Nick Field on Tuesday, 6th February 2007 If we do get the 2 hourly service one things for sure and that is that we probably wont be able to rely of First to do much of a marketing job. We need to reach out to as much of the population as possible - not sure how much a leaflet in one of the free papers would cost? Re: Community rail - or community support - for the TransWilts? - 1345/3789 Written by admin (Graham Ellis) on Tuesday, 6th February 2007 I'm partly looking at helping with the marketing - but also at other organisations who might help. Some will be surprised to be mentioned here, others are very much on board already ... Melksham First Wiltshire Times Local Conservative Party Local Labour Party Local Liberal Democrat Party Knorre Brense National Trust Visit Wiltshire Travel Watch South West Melksham Rail Development Group West Wilts Rail User Group Network Rail Department for Transport First Great Western First Bus Somerset and Avon First Group HQ RMT Union Westbury Town Council Warminster Town Council Melksham Town Council Melksham Without Council Chippenham Council Swindon Unitary Authority Salisbury City Council West Wilts District Council North Wilts District Council Wiltshire County Council Government Offices South West South West Regional Assembly Well House Consultants Blue Circle Cement Virgin Mobile Transport 2000 And that's just a quick starter ... Re: Community rail - or community support - for the TransWilts? - 1345/3790 Written by Ruthg on Tuesday, 6th February 2007 [quote author=Graham Ellis link=topic=1345.msg3779#msg3779 date=1170748872] The narrow, and wider, community is really starting to pull together over the local / regional train issue and the "TransWilts" and I'm thinking that - with the proposals for a 2-hourly service from the end of his year [/quote] If FGW agree to providing a two hourly service, I and other commuters from Frome to Swindon/Chippenham (there's a few of us) would be really grateful if you could mention us as regards decent connection times at Westbury. Thanks :) Re: Community rail - or community support - for the TransWilts? - 1345/3853 Written by admin (Graham Ellis) on Saturday, 10th February 2007 [quote author=Ruthg link=topic=1345.msg3790#msg3790 date=1170789087] If FGW agree to providing a two hourly service, I and other commuters from Frome to Swindon/Chippenham (there's a few of us) would be really grateful if you could mention us as regards decent connection times at Westbury. Thanks Re: Community rail - or community support - for the TransWilts? - 1345/3865 Written by Ruthg on Saturday, 10th February 2007 Graham, I'd very much like to come to the meeting and offer my support, looking forward to it. Re: Community rail - or community support - for the TransWilts? - 1345/3868 Written by admin (Graham Ellis) on Sunday, 11th February 2007 [quote author=Ruthg link=topic=1345.msg3865#msg3865 date=1171138210] Graham, I'd very much like to come to the meeting and offer my support, looking forward to it. [/quote] Delighted - slightly more formal agenda / invites to follow in next few days, but service users, would be users, and group / community representatives ALL welcome. I'm getting some very mixed signals at the moment as to the state of play behind some closed doors; certainly good news in that it confirms that the service is on the agenda now, rather that being swept under the carpet which I have felt in the past. And that means I simply don't know how we'll stand by 5th March. I've already got an acceptable from the First Regional Manager to attend, and I would hope that item 1 on our Agenda would be a "where are we now" discussion to which he can make a major contribution. A second item on the agenda - "continuing to press for an appropriate service" - may even turn out to be history (wouldn't it be great to have a positive announcemnet in the next couple of weeks?), or it could turn out to be the major concern if we remain in limbo or (worse) we've heard some bad news. In any case - point No. 3 will be "supporting the new service [s]if[/s] when it starts" (and perhaps helping to fine tune it too. Make no mistake - getting the service restored to an appropriate level isn't the end of the story - the bigger story is helping to encourage and keep it and so much of that is where we can all get involved. Item 4 - setting ourselves up to progress (2) and (3). Whether it's through the DfT's community rail scheme (if thy'll designate the service) or through some alternative approach .... while working with and not treading on the toes of other groups. But actually, I see so much support from elsewhere that I don't think there's to omuch danger of crushed toes. 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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