| Archived Save the Train forum articles - 2005 to 2010. See below
Parliamentary Question on buses to replace trains - 217/539 Written by admin (Graham Ellis) on Sunday, 23rd April 2006 Question in Parliament - asked in writing on 20th April 361 Chris Grayling (Epsom & Ewell):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether it is his policy to replace rail services with bus services on the (a) Par to Newquay, (b) Liskeard to Looe, (c) Totnes and Ivybridge to Plymouth, (d) Chippenham to Frome and (e) Severn Beach routes. See [url]http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm200506/cmordbk1/60420w01.htm[/url] I'll let you know as and when I see an answer - I'm not sure how long these things take but I expect it will be after the final contracts are decided this week Re: Parliamentary Question on buses to replace trains - 217/540 Written by Sion Bretton on Monday, 24th April 2006 Nice to this question being asked, my question is why is it that an MP from this area not asking this question? Look forward to reading his reply. Sion Re: Parliamentary Question on buses to replace trains - 217/548 Written by admin (Graham Ellis) on Tuesday, 25th April 2006 Pehaps it's a wider issue that's been taken up by the conservative's transport spokesman :) But, truely, I look with envy at some of the parliamentary support for other lines / causes. Re: Parliamentary Question on buses to replace trains - 217/560 Written by Lee on Thursday, 27th April 2006 Here is the answer : http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm200506/cmhansrd/cm060426/text/60426w01.htm#column_1092 Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether it is his policy to replace rail services with bus services on the (a) Par to Newquay, (b) Liskeard to Looe, (c) Totnes and Ivybridge to Plymouth, (d) Chippenham to Frome and (e) Severn Beach routes. [64774] Derek Twigg: Other than the continuation of existing arrangements whereby buses provide some services between Avonmouth and Severn Beach, there is no policy to replace rail services with buses on any of these routes. Re: Parliamentary Question on buses to replace trains - 217/561 Written by admin (Graham Ellis) on Thursday, 27th April 2006 Although it may not be DfT policy, I've had confirmation since the question was asked that part of First Group's bid for the franchise including a reduced TRAIN service but a promise to extend the BUS to Chippenham station. Why on earth would they bid that (and win based on that bid) if it wasn't intended that the bus should pick up some of the traffic that there were no longer trains to use? Re: Parliamentary Question on buses to replace trains - 217/562 Written by Sion Bretton on Thursday, 27th April 2006 Lee thanks for putting th link on nice to see other MP in area talking about the Swindon/Southampton line. MP's need to know this line is not just for us folks in Melksham, but others who want to travel between Swindon & Southampton without changing trains in Bath. Re: Parliamentary Question on buses to replace trains - 217/1698 Written by Lee on Sunday, 22nd October 2006 [quote author=Lee link=topic=217.msg560#msg560 date=1146132856]Here is the answer : http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm200506/cmhansrd/cm060426/text/60426w01.htm#column_1092 Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether it is his policy to replace rail services with bus services on the (a) Par to Newquay, (b) Liskeard to Looe, (c) Totnes and Ivybridge to Plymouth, (d) Chippenham to Frome and (e) Severn Beach routes. [64774] Derek Twigg: Other than the continuation of existing arrangements whereby buses provide some services between Avonmouth and Severn Beach, there is no policy to replace rail services with buses on any of these routes.[/quote] FROM THE CURRENT MONDAYS TO FRIDAYS TIMETABLE (up to December 2006) Re: Parliamentary Question on buses to replace trains - 217/1705 Written by Lee on Monday, 23rd October 2006 In my view , the above post clearly shows that the 234 bus service timetable (recently re-routed via the new bus/rail integrated transport facility at Chippenham) has been designed as a rail - replacement. I believe this forum to be widely read. Those of you who are not from the Melksham area may well be asking yourself the following question : Is Melksham an isolated example , or could this happen to MY station? From the Greater Western Franchise Agreement (the same provision is also mentioned in the Network Rail Business Plan 2006) : "The Franchisee shall carry out major investment to create integrated passenger facilities, and improve the overall Station environment and Station security at the following 28 Stations:" I list them below. Bath Spa Bristol Temple Meads Burnham Cheltenham Spa Chippenham Didcot Parkway Ealing Broadway Exeter Central Exeter St Davids Gloucester Hayes and Harlington Hungerford Maidenhead Newbury North Camp Oxford Plymouth Reading Slough Southall Swindon Taunton Tiverton Parkway Trowbridge Truro Twyford Weston-super-Mare Westbury In addition , similiar facilities either already exist or are planned at the following stations : St Erth (bus to St Ives) St Austell (bus to Newquay) Liskeard (bus to Looe) Also , I believe that the quote below should be taken into account : [quote author=Lee link=topic=491.msg1506#msg1506 date=1159006731]Here are three Third Party Promoted Schemes listed on page 32 of the Cross Country Franchise Consultation Document (link below.) http://www.dft.gov.uk/stellent/groups/dft_railways/documents/page/dft_railways_611834.pdf Worcester Parkway. Worcestershire County Council has undertaken studies in 2002 and 2004 to assess the feasibility of a new park and ride station in Worcester to provide access to national long distance rail services. Further business case development work is required. Worle Strategic Interchange. North Somerset Council, together with a consortium of partners, has an aspiration to improve Worle station to facilitate calls by inter-city services, provide improved park and ride facilities and allow for better interchange with the M5. Further feasibility and business case development work is required. Gloucestershire Parkway station. Gloucestershire County Council have an objective to deliver a park and ride new station near Gloucester and are currently undertaking detailed timetabling and feasibility work. Earlier studies indicated a potentially viable business case. Should funding be secured Gloucestershire County Council anticipate completion of the station by 2011 with an integrated bus, park and ride and railway station. First , have a look at a map and note the surrounding areas of each of the above proposed stations plus Bristol Parkway. Then imagine the likely stopping pattern of the new Cross Country Franchise trains , proposed to be 2 per hour between Birmingham & Bristol and 1 per hour continuing south of Bristol. The proposed service frequencies of the new franchise can be found on page 24 of the Consultation Document and a map can be found on page 37. Then note this proposal from "Growing the Railways." "Provide a decent station at Bromsgrove − this would have the potential to double or even treble patronage in the short term." You can see why I am concerned.[/quote] I would suggest that the above , taken together , would make a "neat fit" with the quote below : [quote author=Graham Ellis link=topic=400.msg1180#msg1180 date=1155623814]A "Where do we stand" topic, posted one year after this site was started. How is it that First can make the money to pay the government 1 billion pounds over 10 years, as they've said they'll do under the Great Western franchise? Re: Parliamentary Question on buses to replace trains - 217/1706 Written by Lee on Monday, 23rd October 2006 It is also my view that those who decide these matters have decided to "do a Calne" on the Melksham train service (see quote below.) [quote author=Lee link=topic=249.msg676#msg676 date=1150290922] This is one of the aspects of the Melksham issue that concerns me most. It looks to me like First were conducting a usage survey. Journey Statistics Link. http://www.savethetrain.org.uk/forum/index.php?topic=233.msg589#msg589 5% from and to Chippenham. Here is Map 3 of the original Beeching Report. http://www.shropshiretransport.info/beeching/report1/maps/Map03.htm Dean , Dilton Marsh & Dunbridge all appear as red dots ( Re: Parliamentary Question on buses to replace trains - 217/1719 Written by Sion Bretton on Tuesday, 24th October 2006 I catch the train daily to Bristol from Melksham. From December 10th my options are: 1. Buy a First Bus&Rail Card weekly for Re: Parliamentary Question on buses to replace trains - 217/1724 Written by admin (Graham Ellis) on Wednesday, 25th October 2006 Sion, As I just posted up on another thread, we all need to be taking steps to ensure that our futures aren't going to be adversely effected when the blade falls on 10th December. Glad to see that you've been able to put a smiley face at least against one of the options. As part of our own business / work plans, Lisa and I have also taken steps to ensure that we're no longer reliant on the train services in and out of Melksham for weekday arrivals around 9, and weekday departures around 5. In our case, none of the 'alternatives' offered allows a Melksham arrival by public transport for 9 a.m. with a reasonable start from London that same morning; our answer is much more radical, and part of a much wider businss change - with the loss of the previously-vital trains just being one catalyst. With a much-varied schedule and only one train per day remaining within 15 minutes of the current timing, there's going to be a huge shakeout and change around in December. It's taken time to grow the trafic to current levels, and to throw most of it away and start again, attracting fresh people who want to travel at the new times, seems a d**ned shame. It'll be the harder as I'm not sure that new trains are actually running at times that there's a possible heavy flow, and the reliability record of the current service, unfortunately, goes ahead of it and would take years to live down. Re: Parliamentary Question on buses to replace trains - 217/2048 Written by Lee on Friday, 24th November 2006 [quote author=Graham Ellis link=topic=217.msg539#msg539 date=1145822509]Question in Parliament - asked in writing on 20th April 361 Chris Grayling (Epsom & Ewell):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether it is his policy to replace rail services with bus services on the (a) Par to Newquay, (b) Liskeard to Looe, (c) Totnes and Ivybridge to Plymouth, (d) Chippenham to Frome and (e) Severn Beach routes. See [url]http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm200506/cmordbk1/60420w01.htm[/url] I'll let you know as and when I see an answer - I'm not sure how long these things take but I expect it will be after the final contracts are decided this week 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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