| Archived Save the Train forum articles - 2005 to 2010. See below
No reply from Department for Transport - 49/92 Written by admin (Graham Ellis) on Friday, 21st October 2005 20 days ago, I wrote to the Department for Transport - a carefully worded letter bringing evidence that has only become available since the invitation to tender was issued. I explained why they should carefully reconsider their new service level, the negative effect it would have on use of the TransWilts line and Melksham, and that with such a huge recent traffic growth the service would bring them far more income (so need less subsidy) than even the evidence of a year back. I still await a reply. They aim to reply within 20 WORKING days. I'll wait a little longer, but I'm aware that time is of the essence and any delay means that any ongoing correspondence is likely to be overtaken by the franchise decision. Re: No reply from Department for Transport - 49/116 Written by admin (Graham Ellis) on Wednesday, 16th November 2005 Last weekend, I sent a brief follow up urging an acknowledgement soon, and a confirmation that the new evidence / information that's become available since the invitation to tender (rising ticket sales, expansion of Melksham, the local interest now that we're aware of the threat) will be taken into account as the service to be provided by the new operator is tuned to make it appropriate for the needs of each and every line and station in the Greater Western Area. Will keep you posted ... Re: No reply from Department for Transport - 49/132 Written by admin (Graham Ellis) on Wednesday, 30th November 2005 Still waiting ;) Re: No reply from Department for Transport - 49/134 Written by admin (Graham Ellis) on Friday, 2nd December 2005 In the post ... a letter from Mr Ancram, my MP. Attached, a brief reply from Derek Twigg and a comment that Roger Jones will write to me directly with the more technical / complete answer. I wonder how soon though ... ;) Re: No reply from Department for Transport - 49/408 Written by admin (Graham Ellis) on Monday, 27th February 2006 Answer received! I wrote on 2nd October 2005 and I received a response at the end of February 2006. Full text of letter 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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