Save the Melksham Train
Archived Save the Train forum articles - 2005 to 2010. See below
Island Line To Become Heritage Railway? - 1770/4531
Written by Lee on Wednesday, 28th March 2007

Train services on the Isle of Wight have taken a major step towards becoming a self-contained , self-financing operation after the company which leases rolling stock for use on the Island Line agreed to sell the trains for

Re: Island Line To Become Heritage Railway? - 1770/4539
Written by admin (Graham Ellis) on Wednesday, 28th March 2007

Although I've just expressed concerns about another line that should be providing a regular service beween large towns becoming a heritage line (anotehr thread ...) I do think that the Isle of Wight is a special case.  Yet even there I wonder if there's the thin end of a wedge somewhere.

Is that now-historic 150k leasing cost per coach, or for all 12 coaches?  I ask because 150k for 12 would be a bargain - it's 150k for ONE coach in these parts, and the difference would make a big difference on hos the 77p per mile will change.

Re: Island Line To Become Heritage Railway? - 1770/4544
Written by tramway on Wednesday, 28th March 2007

My impression was that it's 150k for each 2 car, which was why as they were approaching 60 years old it was a tad embarrasing.

Although it's not entirely clear how other funding arrangements for refurb is going to be met as it was the responsibility of the ROSCO.

SWT must now make a strategic decision on whether to maintain the old stuff, or replace with more up to date redundant LuL stock, if available.

 
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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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