| Archived Save the Train forum articles - 2005 to 2010. See below
Melksham station, land sale - 269/716 Written by mthomson on Wednesday, 28th June 2006 ??? What is happening at Melksham? Re: Melksham station, land sale - 269/717 Written by Lee on Wednesday, 28th June 2006 I couldnt agree more , Malcolm. Here is a link to the land ALREADY up for sale at Melksham station. http://www.brb.gov.uk/property/property_listings?keyword=Melksham This is a map of the station site (link below.) http://www.westwiltshire.gov.uk/print/keysite-melksham-railway-station.pdf Quote from the above link : "A significant part of the site is safeguarded for the future enhancement of rail services from the station. The District Council has wider objectives to improve rail services for Melksham. This includes the possible re-location of the Station to a site adjoining the former GEC site." Here is a map of the former GEC site (link below.) http://www.westwiltshire.gov.uk/print/keysite-melksham-former-gec-site.pdf Quote from the above link : "The redevelopment of the site offers an opportunity to help achieve the District and County Council's objective of relocating Melksham Railway Station. Therefore, the District Council would be seeking access improvements to the station from any potential development proposals. Retail proposals for the site will be considered against national and local out of town shopping policy and should not adversely affect the vitality and viability of Melksham town centre. The site has excellent links to the A350 and the M4, as well as proximity to a very successful out of town department store." Houses are now being built on the former GEC site (link below) http://archive.thisiswiltshire.co.uk/2005/01/28/95103.html Now land planned for a new station is also for sale. As you point out , what is happening at Melksham? Re: Melksham station, land sale - 269/721 Written by admin (Graham Ellis) on Wednesday, 28th June 2006 The DfT, alas, continues to work with flawed statistics. Re: Melksham station, land sale - 269/726 Written by Sion Bretton on Thursday, 29th June 2006 Do the business in this area know the lands is up for sale! Re: Melksham station, land sale - 269/876 Written by Lee on Thursday, 13th July 2006 [quote author=Lee link=topic=269.msg717#msg717 date=1151497353] I couldnt agree more , Malcolm. Here is a link to the land ALREADY up for sale at Melksham station. http://www.brb.gov.uk/property/property_listings?keyword=Melksham This is a map of the station site (link below.) http://www.westwiltshire.gov.uk/print/keysite-melksham-railway-station.pdf Quote from the above link : "A significant part of the site is safeguarded for the future enhancement of rail services from the station. The District Council has wider objectives to improve rail services for Melksham. This includes the possible re-location of the Station to a site adjoining the former GEC site." Here is a map of the former GEC site (link below.) http://www.westwiltshire.gov.uk/print/keysite-melksham-former-gec-site.pdf Quote from the above link : "The redevelopment of the site offers an opportunity to help achieve the District and County Council's objective of relocating Melksham Railway Station. Therefore, the District Council would be seeking access improvements to the station from any potential development proposals. Retail proposals for the site will be considered against national and local out of town shopping policy and should not adversely affect the vitality and viability of Melksham town centre. The site has excellent links to the A350 and the M4, as well as proximity to a very successful out of town department store." Houses are now being built on the former GEC site (link below) http://archive.thisiswiltshire.co.uk/2005/01/28/95103.html Now land planned for a new station is also for sale. As you point out , what is happening at Melksham? Re: Melksham station, land sale - 269/879 Written by drew22299 on Thursday, 13th July 2006 Why did they remove the other track and platform and keep only one line? Re: Melksham station, land sale - 269/881 Written by Lee on Thursday, 13th July 2006 According to the Save The Train History page (link below) , the line had already been singled by the time that the station was closed in 1966. Im afraid that I dont know the exact date that the Melksham line was singled (Graham may well do.) http://www.savethetrain.org.uk/history.html Here is a link that lists the current single line sections around the region. http://www.trainweb.org/railwest/gen/signal/sl-now.html Melksham station was re-opened in 1985 using part of one of the old platforms (part of the same platform is now occupied by the Melksham Tyre Supplies building.) Re: Melksham station, land sale - 269/882 Written by admin (Graham Ellis) on Thursday, 13th July 2006 There's a very slight inaccuracy in my history wording. The line was reduced to single track operation shortly after the 1966 closure of the passenger service - certainly within a year of that closure; I do have dates buried deep somewhere and could be more specific if that ever turned out to be relevant. The single track that remained in use through the Melksham station area was the old Chippenham-bound one, but the only platform that remained was the old Westbury-bound one. The Westbury-bound line was relaid just a few days before the station re-opened in 1985, and the track was slewed on the curve to the south, and had a wiggle put in to the North, to server the new piece of line. The Chippneham-bound track was then lifted. There's a number of 1985 re-opening pictures that appear to show double track; they were taken in the very brief euphoric period around the opening. Re: Melksham station, land sale - 269/908 Written by Nick Field on Monday, 17th July 2006 [quote author=Graham Ellis link=topic=269.msg882#msg882 date=1152810072] There's a number of 1985 re-opening pictures that appear to show double track; they were taken in the very brief euphoric period around the opening. [/quote] Graham would you have any copies of the 1985 pictures. Re: Melksham station, land sale - 269/909 Written by Lee on Monday, 17th July 2006 One of the 1985 re-opening pictures can be found in the link below. http://www.savethetrain.org.uk/oldpics1.html As Graham says , it appears to show double track. Re: Melksham station, land sale - 269/915 Written by admin (Graham Ellis) on Monday, 17th July 2006 Further clarification ... signal box taken out of use, line singled, February 1967. Second track relaid through station and all trains diverted via that track, May 1985. Original line removed a few weeks later. 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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