Save the Melksham Train
Archived Save the Train forum articles - 2005 to 2010. See below
05.52 from Melksham on 25/04/06 - 220/552
Written by Sion Bretton on Tuesday, 25th April 2006

Hi
Just to let you know I went for the 05.52 from Melksham to Chippenham.

I was the only person to catch the train, but there were all ready 9 people on the service.

Looks like they want the direct service to Swindon, and not go via Bath.

I think not just Melksham folk make a noise about  the possiable Lost of direct trains but any one who using it.

 

Re: 05.52 from Melksham on 25/04/06 - 220/553
Written by admin (Graham Ellis) on Tuesday, 25th April 2006

I agree, and the economic case for the line is made much better if all users are counted.    The problem I've had is knowing who to reach in .... Trowbridge, Chippenham, Swindon.    In each of those places it's just another train and a tiny proportion of the railway users, and finding the users of this particular, and least frequent, train that's the problem.

I estimate that four people stay on the train for every one who gets on or off.  And I would dearly love to reach them and their other users.  Last Friday, the train coming down to Trowbridge for the meeting was busy - about 30 or 40 people on board - but only half a dozen or so got off for the meeting.  We haven't reached the others yet, or they don't care.

 
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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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