Save the Melksham Train
Archived Save the Train forum articles - 2005 to 2010. See below
Trains May Return To Bedlington - 1456/3986
Written by Lee on Tuesday, 20th February 2007

North-East transport bosses have commissioned a study into the possibility of linking the village to the Morpeth to Newcastle service (link below.)
http://icnewcastle.icnetwork.co.uk/journallive/thejournal/tm_headline=trains-may-return-to-disused-station%26method=full%26objectid=18642898%26siteid=50081-name_page.html




Re: Trains May Return To Bedlington - 1456/3987
Written by admin (Graham Ellis) on Tuesday, 20th February 2007

Although termed a "Village" in the report, Bedlington has a population of around 15,000. So it seems a sensible move.  Comparision - Melksham, 24,000.

Re: Trains May Return To Bedlington - 1456/5349
Written by Lee on Tuesday, 22nd May 2007

The North East Assembly commissioned the Independent Rail Consultants Group to look at the feasibility of extending the existing Newcastle to Morpeth service through Choppington to Bedlington Station (link below.)
http://www.rmtbristol.org.uk/2007/05/study_says_northeast_rail_link.html#more

And its study has found that the scheme could attract an extra 60,000 to 85,000 rail journeys each year , drastically reducing the number of cars using the region's roads.

At the moment trains on the link sit in a siding at Morpeth for up to 15 minutes before returning to Newcastle.

The study has looked at the possibility of using this time to create a link with Choppington and Bedlington Station.

The study has found that the proposal is feasible as long as funding can be secured , and if given the go-ahead , trains could be running on the line by 2009.

The existing track and signalling are adequate and the link would extend an existing service , meaning it would not require additional trains.

However , station facilities would need to be upgraded at a cost of

 
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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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