| Archived Save the Train forum articles - 2005 to 2010. See below
Ricoh Station Case Is Submitted - 3338/6758 Written by Lee on Thursday, 9th August 2007 [quote author=Lee link=topic=813.msg6561#msg6561 date=1185623124]Mr. Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment she has made of the proposals to build a railway station at the Ricoh Arena in Coventry; what discussions she has had with Coventry city council on the proposals; and what estimate she has made of the cost of the establishment of such a station. Mr. Tom Harris: It is for the local authority to develop a proposal for a new station which is deliverable, affordable and has a business case. Discussions took place over three years ago following a report which was submitted to the Strategic Rail Authority. The report concluded that the business case was low and there were questions over its deliverability. The Department would consider any further work showing that such a station was feasible, fundable and offered value for money.[/quote] The case for building a railway station near Coventry's Ricoh Arena has been made to central government (link below.) http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/coventry_warwickshire/6937678.stm A joint business plan has been submitted by the city council and Warwickshire County Council to the Department of Transport. It claims that it would bring Re: Ricoh Station Case Is Submitted - 3338/6763 Written by admin (Graham Ellis) on Thursday, 9th August 2007 [quote author=Lee link=topic=3338.msg6758#msg6758 date=1186655421] Mr. Tom Harris: It is for the local authority to develop a proposal for a new station which is deliverable, affordable and has a business case .... The Department for Transport has said a station should make twice as much money as invested for it to be value for money. [/quote] And does Mr Harris's comment apply to SERVICES too? I was heartened to hear Fleur de Rhe Philipe, talking to me in person [West Wilts show], confirm the county's unswerving and full support for an appropriate service and I'm very grateful to certain of the officers there for the huge work they've put in to the business case. And it's when you talk (as I was doing last weekend) with folks around teh area and how the train / lack of effects them that you realise just how much the service would "make" for the area. Re: Ricoh Station Case Is Submitted - 3338/7469 Written by Lee on Friday, 7th September 2007 The proposal to have a railway station at Coventry's Ricoh Arena has been given "strong support" by the Department for Transport , the city's MPs have said (link below.) http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/coventry_warwickshire/6981453.stm Jim Cunningham , Geoffrey Robinson and Bob Ainsworth met Transport Minister Tom Harris on Wednesday. The MPs said Coventry and Warwickshire councils were now opening talks with prospective partners in the rail industry to deliver the project. Quote from Geoffrey Robinson , MP for Coventry North West : "The meeting was a great success with the Department for Transport giving its 100% support." The MPs also said proposals for a half-hourly service on the Coventry - Nuneaton line were given strong support. The intermediate station on that line is Bedworth , which has strong parallels (and a similiar history) to Melksham station (quotes below.) [quote author=Lee link=topic=249.msg688#msg688 date=1150721135]Here is an interesting link that refers to Bedworth station and the Coventry - Nuneaton line / service. http://journals.aol.co.uk/hstnuneaton/railroundup/entries/346 Quotes from the above link. "In 1850, the Coventry - Nuneaton line was opened, originally for freight owing to the large amount of coal reserves but eventually, passenger services began operating, with stations at Chilvers Coton, Bedworth, Longford, Foleshill, Daimler Halt and Coundon Road." "In 1963, the then chairman of the newly-founded BR, Doctor Richard Beeching produced his report on the future of Britains Railways. Innocuously titled "The Reshaping of Britain's Railways", the report still remains one of the most controversial documents ever produced on a British industry. Tasked by the government to reduce the ever increasing losses suffered by the railway, Beeching took a root-and-branch analysis of every rail line which was still operational at the time. The end result was the "axe" - 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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