Save the Melksham Train
Archived Save the Train forum articles - 2005 to 2010. See below
Trains replaced by buses from 26 Aug to 3 Sept 2006 - 289/782
Written by admin (Graham Ellis) on Friday, 7th July 2006

Due to Engineering works at Wootton Bassett Junction (between Chippenham and Swindon), there will be major serive changes to trains from 26th August to 3rd September inclusive.

Chippenham will be served by shuttle trains from Bristol and Bath, and "a limited peak-time train service will run between Chippenham and London Paddington which will operate on an alternative route direct to Reading" accorsing to First Great Western's Press Release.

There press release also states: "Swindon/Southampton services - A replacement bus service will run between Westbury and Swindon. Train services will run between Westbury and Southampton."

Bus timetables will be available later ...



Re: Trains replaced by buses from 26 Aug to 3 Sept 2006 - 289/784
Written by Sion Bretton on Friday, 7th July 2006

shame the train can to just run to/from  Chippenham

Re: Trains replaced by buses from 26 Aug to 3 Sept 2006 - 289/787
Written by admin (Graham Ellis) on Friday, 7th July 2006

[quote author=Sion Bretton link=topic=289.msg784#msg784 date=1152251329]
shame the train can to just run to/from

Re: Trains replaced by buses from 26 Aug to 3 Sept 2006 - 289/1147
Written by admin (Graham Ellis) on Wednesday, 9th August 2006

I've been reminded that during last year's Glastonbury festival, the 5-coach-plus-two-locos train operated by Fragoset was used from Swindon to Westbury to handle the extra traffic, and that this train called at Melksham.

Re: Trains replaced by buses from 26 Aug to 3 Sept 2006 - 289/1298
Written by Lee on Saturday, 26th August 2006

Andrew Griffiths warns of "short term pain" for passengers trying to travel in the next week (link below.)
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/wiltshire/5288452.stm

Re: Trains replaced by buses from 26 Aug to 3 Sept 2006 - 289/1299
Written by admin (Graham Ellis) on Sunday, 27th August 2006

Yes, I saw the interview on the TV too.  He was also explaining how passengers will gain in the future from a better / more reliable service as a result.  All in general terms - no mentions of any specific services.

 
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


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