| Archived Save the Train forum articles - 2005 to 2010. See below
Axminster - A Model For Melksham? - 5458/9704 Written by Lee on Monday, 28th January 2008 I visited Axminster station yesterday (27/01/2008) , as I felt that some useful lessons might be learnt from doing so. They have a car park, bus interchange and cafe (along with the regular ticket office, waiting area etc) in a compact but very well-thought out space, close to residential, industrial and small-scale commercial areas. This is similiar to what we would like to acheive at Melksham, where the residential, industrial and commercial mix of the immediate area is very much the same. Also, like Axminster currently, there is a potentially wide area that could be served by feeder bus from Melksham station. Another similarity, of course, is that both towns aspire to a better train service, although at least Axminster has a viable one at present, unlike Melksham. Bear in mind too, that it is a franchise committment that Axminster be provided with a better service, whereas no such committment exists regarding Melksham. Where they differ though, is that Melksham's population is 21000, while Axminster's is 6000. Re: Axminster - A Model For Melksham? - 5458/9708 Written by admin (Graham Ellis) on Monday, 28th January 2008 At the time you were around there, Lee, did any trains call, and were people using the services? I'm conscious, looking at the population figures, that we would want to multiply any figures you have for people getting on and off by four to make a reasonable comparison ... Re: Axminster - A Model For Melksham? - 5458/9711 Written by Lee on Monday, 28th January 2008 We were just into double figures on both counts regarding people getting on and off the trains I arrived and departed on. In general, the 6-coach Class 159 services I travelled on using this route looked empty. It was a Sunday though, and one of the guards told me not to take this as a true reflection, given that services were terminating at Woking rather than London Waterloo, due to engineering work. In 2004/2005, annual Axminster passenger usage was around 180000 Re: Axminster - A Model For Melksham? - 5458/9714 Written by Nick Field on Monday, 28th January 2008 [quote author=Lee link=topic=5458.msg9711#msg9711 date=1201512942] In general, the 6-coach Class 159 services I travelled on using this route looked empty. It was a Sunday though, and one of the guards told me not to take this as a true reflection, given that services were terminating at Woking rather than London Waterloo, due to engineering work. [/quote] I remeber travelling from Salisbury to Torquay in that route early on a Sunday a couple of years ago (I think it was in the spring), also a six coach 159 which was lighly loaded on departure from Salisbury but got busier at each station stop and was very well loaded by the time we reached Exeter. Re: Axminster - A Model For Melksham? - 5458/9715 Written by admin (Graham Ellis) on Monday, 28th January 2008 [quote author=Lee link=topic=5458.msg9711#msg9711 date=1201512942] We were just into double figures on both counts regarding people getting on and off the trains I arrived and departed on. In general, the 6-coach Class 159 services I travelled on using this route looked empty. It was a Sunday though, and one of the guards told me not to take this as a true reflection, given that services were terminating at Woking rather than London Waterloo, due to engineering work. In 2004/2005, annual Aminster passenger usage was around 180000 [/quote] So about a dozen people per train at Axminster (but with a microsample that you have been told may be low) might indicate a figure of perhaps 30 or 40 per train at a place that's 3 to 4 times the size such as Melksham. And the passenger usage figure at around 180k per annum is interesting - makes one realise how Melksham's rise from 3k to 27k over 5 years with 5 trains a day was just the tip of an iceberg of potential, doesn't it? Many thandk for the figures, Lee! Re: Axminster - A Model For Melksham? - 5458/9719 Written by Industry Insider on Monday, 28th January 2008 It demonstrates perfectly the difference it makes if your town happens to lie on a route from London which is popular enough to command a regular through service from London to Exeter that stops at several similarly sized settlements such as Honiton (pop. 11000), Crewkerne (7000), Gillingham (12000), Sherborne (9000), and links large settlements like Exeter (118000), Yeovil (45000), Salisbury (45000) and Basingstoke (80000) with the capital by direct train - even if it's not exactly the fastest service in the world! Because of this you only need a 'trickle' of passengers at all the intermediate stations to end up with a full and profit making 6-car Class 159 by the time it reaches its destination. For that reason, whilst it's an interesting comparision, I think it could also be considered a misleading one. Re: Axminster - A Model For Melksham? - 5458/9720 Written by Lee on Monday, 28th January 2008 I think I put enough caveats into my original posts.....including this one : [quote author=Lee link=topic=5458.msg9711#msg9711 date=1201512942] In general, the 6-coach Class 159 services I travelled on using this route looked empty. It was a Sunday though, and one of the guards told me not to take this as a true reflection, given that services were terminating at Woking rather than London Waterloo, due to engineering work.[/quote] My main point was that Axminster appears to have exactly the sort of facilities mix that we should aspire to at Melksham. Re: Axminster - A Model For Melksham? - 5458/9786 Written by Lee on Thursday, 31st January 2008 Axminster photos :     Re: Axminster - A Model For Melksham? - 5458/9790 Written by Industry Insider on Friday, 1st February 2008 The visual aspect of the station being set to change quite dramatically over the next couple of years with re-instatement of the old derelict platform, installation of a passing loop and footbridge. This will enable a more reliable and regular service to be provided. A model for the Cotswold Line...? Re: Axminster - A Model For Melksham? - 5458/9812 Written by Lee on Friday, 1st February 2008 [quote author=Industry Insider link=topic=5458.msg9790#msg9790 date=1201825176] The visual aspect of the station being set to change quite dramatically over the next couple of years with re-instatement of the old derelict platform, installation of a passing loop and footbridge. This will enable a more reliable and regular service to be provided. A model for the Cotswold Line...? [/quote] Agreed. However, add a slightly more modest "cabin" style station building, some updated signage, a bus stop, have the existing McDonalds as the cafe, while extending the car park over part of the adjacent BRB land deemed as "surplus" by official agencies, and a relocated Melksham station near Spencers Gate could look similiar to the way Axminster is now. 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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