Save the Melksham Train
Archived Save the Train forum articles - 2005 to 2010. See below
Further cuts may follow? - 201/493
Written by admin (Graham Ellis) on Tuesday, 4th April 2006

Quote from Julian Crow at a meeting in Ivybridge ... see [url]http://www.crosborne.co.uk/srug/irug17-3.htm[/url]

[quote]In conversation afterwards I asked him how he was going to be able to grow his business (the franchise) in the longer term - how long is the timetable set for. He replied that he saw this as a major point - the contract is for 10 years, but the expectation is that the contract will be amended and re-negotiated over time as things develop.[/quote]

In other words ... the service from December 2006 can change again, and the First Group expect it to do so.  I note that the repreive just announced for the Southampton to Westbury "leg" of our route is to be reviewed again at December 2007, and that there's to be a further review of the Cornish branches too after a year of operation.

I also note the proposed changes to the system for closing railway lines and stations  - consultation out at the moment - which will make the process different (and I suspect easier) if and when it comes in.

 
link to index of articles


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


This site is hosted by Well House Consultants Ltd. (http://www.wellho.net)
Contact Information
 

Further Information:
 Home
 Current Summary
 Daily update
 User forum
 Consultation
 Service now
 Service future
 Future Analysis
 Recent Statistics
 Recent letters
 Letter to DfT
 Save the train
 Presentation
 Support us
 Other Maps
 Station facilities
 Station approach
 Pictures
 Trains diverted
 History
 About Melksham
 Site Map
 About this site