Save the Melksham Train
Archived Save the Train forum articles - 2005 to 2010. See below
When in September to we get the train back? - 405/1202
Written by admin (Graham Ellis) on Tuesday, 15th August 2006

* On 5th August, I wrote to customer services at First Great Western asking them to confirm that the 05:52 from Melksham to Swindon WOULD be running on Monday, 4th September after the 9 day bus replacement ... I'm hoping to be on the train and really don't want to get have a long journey up to Swindon by Bus

* On 15th August (10 days later, you note), they replied "For reference, unfortunately Customer Services are unable to give fare or timetable information, however you can obtain information about any rail journey in Great Britain by enquiring in person at railway station ticket offices, or by ringing National Rail Enquiries (24hrs) on 08457 48 49 50"

* As we don't have a ticket office here in Melksham, I called National Rail Enquiries and asked the gentleman who answered my call what the first train to leave Melksham after the stoppage would be.

Re: When in September to we get the train back? - 405/1209
Written by Lee on Wednesday, 16th August 2006

National Rail Enquiries Website says that the 0552 from Melksham to Swindon on September 4 is a train.

Re: When in September to we get the train back? - 405/1210
Written by admin (Graham Ellis) on Wednesday, 16th August 2006

I'm thinking its probable that the service will be a train ... I'm just giving some weight to the enquiry service - the guy went away to 'double check' for me and seemed to know what he was on about ....

The mis-information seems almost routine ... I've just picked up a client off the 18:09 from Swindon (busy service - about 10 got off and there were quite a few on when it left too).

 
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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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