| Archived Save the Train forum articles - 2005 to 2010. See below
Freedom of Information request to Department for Transport - 464/1354 Written by admin (Graham Ellis) on Saturday, 2nd September 2006 Text of a request I made on 16th August to DfT: [i]Dear Ms Shepherd, Thank you for your letter of 11th August. Re: Freedom of Information request to Department for Transport - 464/1356 Written by admin (Graham Ellis) on Saturday, 2nd September 2006 This may not be news to some avid followers of the saga (especially those who work on the inside), but here are some interesting facts I have come across recently - either new from the DfT'd FOI information, or confirmed by it. 1. That Wilts County Council has written to the Department for Transport just twice since the start of last year with regard to the Greater Western Franchise - once in response to a consultation request in July of last year, then once again in October of last year. The Department for Transport didn't reply to that letter until 19th July this year. 2. The last November (just before the franchise was awarded), the First Group offered to perpetuate the present service level for a cost of 0.3 million pounds per annum, and this would have lead to a 2 million pound reduction in the 1100 million pound franchise premium had it been accepted. 3. That studies made prior to the service level specification for the Great Western Franchise being drawn up assumed a 1.8% per annum (average) traffic grown rate across Wiltshire. Re: Freedom of Information request to Department for Transport - 464/1358 Written by admin (Graham Ellis) on Saturday, 2nd September 2006 Further data from the FOI request for download ... a) Other parts of the Jacobs report that I have (mostly Bristol / Cardiff main line stuff) [url]http://www.wellho.net/dft_foi/j24.pdf[/url] [url]http://www.wellho.net/dft_foi/j42.pdf[/url] [url]http://www.wellho.net/dft_foi/j55.pdf[/url] b) Train counts, Westbury < - > Swindon [url]http://www.wellho.net/dft_foi/autumn02.pdf[/url] [url]http://www.wellho.net/dft_foi/spring03.pdf[/url] [url]http://www.wellho.net/dft_foi/autumn03.pdf[/url] [url]http://www.wellho.net/dft_foi/spring04.pdf[/url] [url]http://www.wellho.net/dft_foi/spring05.pdf[/url] Re: Freedom of Information request to Department for Transport - 464/1371 Written by Lee on Monday, 4th September 2006 I have also noted the following from the Jacobs report Re: Freedom of Information request to Department for Transport - 464/1372 Written by admin (Graham Ellis) on Monday, 4th September 2006 Yes indeed, Lee ... and I'm requesting the detail sections for some elements (but I want to do that as a single request rather than snd through a whole lot of them, so I'm reading further first). Re: Freedom of Information request to Department for Transport - 464/1387 Written by Lee on Tuesday, 5th September 2006 It could be said that the South West has had a "lucky" escape in that the December 2006 service cuts could have been a lot worse (unless you happen to be a Melksham , Newquay or Pilning passenger , to name three stations that didnt emerge well from this saga.) The important point , as Graham says , is that these reviews can happen as often as yearly. For example , we know that First will be reviewing the timetable as early as December 2007 , and have been conducting usage surveys at various points on the FGW network. We also know that the Southampton - Westbury "shuttle" , Bristol - London Waterloo , & SWT Re: Freedom of Information request to Department for Transport - 464/1389 Written by admin (Graham Ellis) on Tuesday, 5th September 2006 On surveys, I do know that FGW were doing some yesterday in our neck of the woods. Re: Freedom of Information request to Department for Transport - 464/1393 Written by Lee on Tuesday, 5th September 2006 [quote author=Lee link=topic=464.msg1387#msg1387 date=1157455820]I have been comparing the FOI answers to the Greater Western Franchise Agreement and I note the following with interest : Quote from the Greater Western Franchise Agreement : "developing and promoting an interurban network for Cornwall to be known as "Network Kernow" Can anyone tell me more about "Network Kernow" ?[/quote] Here is a link to the Cornwall & Scilly Urban Survey. http://www.historic-cornwall.org.uk/index.htm The survey concentrates on 19 towns (see map link below.) http://www.historic-cornwall.org.uk/towns.htm Of these , 12 have railway stations. The situation at Saltash (25% cut in services proposed) is best described by the link below. http://www.srug.org.uk/index.php St Ives & Newquay both had large service cuts proposed (St Ives may have theirs pulled back to an extent , subject to confirmation.) They are both branch line terminals , which means that both would suffer from the recently announced regressive Network Rail track renewals policy (link below.) http://www.savethetrain.org.uk/forum/index.php?topic=420.msg1242#msg1242 You will notice that Looe (also a branch line terminus that had service cuts proposed) is not classed as an urban area. This leaves Penzance , Hayle , Camborne , Redruth , Truro , St Austell and Liskeard , all of which are on the main Penzance - Plymouth line and emerged relatively unscathed (but not totally) from the recent franchise replacement process. It also leaves Falmouth & Penryn. There are two ways of looking at the situation there. 1) Quote from the Network Rail Business Plan 2006 (Page 9 of the link below.) http://www.networkrail.co.uk/documents/3110_Route%2012%20Reading%20to%20Penzance.pdf "We plan to increase capacity between Truro and Falmouth by introducing a train passing facility and extended platform at Penryn station. This will permit two trains to operate on the branch at one time instead of the one train operation that currently exists." 2) Quote from the link below. http://www.moorestephens.co.uk/website/uk.nsf/pages/sectors.shipping.ports "We performed a feasibility study into proposals to develop a container terminal in Falmouth." The guage is more suitable for freight trains from Falmouth eastwards. I cant find any information on "Network Kernow" but there are new proposals under the Greater Western Franchise for a First Group led "Kernow Connect" card that will replace existing schemes to enable combined bus/rail travel in the county (link below.) http://db.cornwall.gov.uk/ltp/marchannex3/section_1042612311302.html The link above also details Cornwall County Council's bus / rail interchange plans , which surely would be much more effective with an improved rail service rather than a reduced one. Re: Freedom of Information request to Department for Transport - 464/1682 Written by Lee on Friday, 20th October 2006 [quote author=Graham Ellis link=topic=464.msg1356#msg1356 date=1157214227]2. The last November (just before the franchise was awarded), the First Group offered to perpetuate the present service level for a cost of 0.3 million pounds per annum, and this would have lead to a 2 million pound reduction in the 1100 million pound franchise premium had it been accepted.[/quote] From the latest batch of FOI material : QUOTES FROM E-MAIL SENT BY PETER WEST (DfT) TO DAVID PHILLIPS (Wiltshire County Council) DATED 15/02/2006. "I have now speaken to colleagues who were responsible for the consultation exercise and the specification of the new Greater Western franchise and have asked them how they would have responded to the October letter." "They have given me the following. Re: Freedom of Information request to Department for Transport - 464/1684 Written by admin (Graham Ellis) on Friday, 20th October 2006 [quote] [Peter West] .... peak-only service is the optimal level of provision on the route via Melksham .... [/quote] But First are NOT even providing a peak service. A peak service would arrive in Swindon between 08:00 and 08:30 and would leave between 17:30 and 18:00. See the Jacobs report which looked at options of earlier and later services instead of these peak hours and REJECTED the options. Re: Freedom of Information request to Department for Transport - 464/1692 Written by Lee on Saturday, 21st October 2006 Indeed , Graham. Also : "The service specification was developed with the principal of matching supply to demand. 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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