Save the Melksham Train
Archived Save the Train forum articles - 2005 to 2010. See below
New Trains 'Too Heavy For Tracks' - 3716/7231
Written by Lee on Thursday, 30th August 2007

New trains which have been introduced on several southern England routes have experienced track problems and rail delays because of their heavier weight (link below.)
http://www.rmtbristol.org.uk/2007/08/new_trains_too_heavy_for_track.html#more

The trains have been brought in by Southern , South West Trains , and Southeastern companies.

The Office of Rail Regulation (ORR) said the heavier trains were "causing a different sort of wear to the track".

Network Rail has blamed more track faults in part on "heavier trains with stiffer suspension".




Re: New Trains 'Too Heavy For Tracks' - 3716/7390
Written by courgettelawn on Tuesday, 4th September 2007

I missed this one earlier.

I can hardly contain my surprise.  The basics of the track company and the train company communicating to ensure their trains will run on the track and vice versa that their track will be suitable for new trains cannot have been that difficult, surely?

Mind you, this, with the signalling issues that Network Rail are struggling with, makes me wonder whether those in charge of Network Rail need to go.

 
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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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