| Archived Save the Train forum articles - 2005 to 2010. See below
Melksham Weekend Times From December 2006 - 548/1603 Written by Lee on Wednesday, 11th October 2006 Source - National Rail Enquiries. SATURDAY Towards Swindon : 0917 , 1518 Towards Westbury : 1545 , 2118 SUNDAY Towards Swindon : 1951 , 2144 Towards Westbury : NO TRAINS Monday - Friday times appear to be as previously announced in July. Re: Melksham Weekend Times From December 2006 - 548/1606 Written by admin (Graham Ellis) on Wednesday, 11th October 2006 Yep, the Government's requirement for Sunday was two trains from Westbury to Swindon and nothing was said about any return services, so that's what First have given us - no return services. I'm not sure what traffic flow is expected on a Sunday evening; the evening train is usually the quietest of the day. To provide two at that time of day with nothing else all day seems odd. Perhaps that's a convenient time for First to pull the train that's been used for other services during Sunday off those other services and return it to depot via Swindon. The Saturday train at 09:17 in to Swindon and 15:19 back from there isn't bad for a shopping trip, but it doesn't cover shop workers; it's a huge shame that the 17:50 has gone as that typically loads to over 40 people, rolling back from the soccer match and happy on Alcohol. Well - I guess the timetable encouraged them to drive to the match, and after all the train that they would have used to get to the match is gone as well. I'm not sure who's going to want to catch the 15:18 up to Swindon on a Saturday afternoon - too late for shopping and for the match, and the return at 20:52 is too early for after a film and too late for after shopping. Do I sense that one of the main criteria for the weekend timetable is that we've got a train when it's not needed on other lines? Monday to Friday ... much as predicted. Mind you, the morning train from Swindon has been eased earlier - 06:19. 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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