| Archived Save the Train forum articles - 2005 to 2010. See below
Take The Train To Training? - 552/1617 Written by Lee on Friday, 13th October 2006 2004 link from the Well House Consultants website. http://www.wellho.net/mouth/40_.html "As you can imagine, I can be found down at the station on Sunday evenings, Monday Mornings, Friday afternoons and other times, and it's great to see how in the last three years the traffic has increased. The single coach train can still cope well, but gone are the days just after the service was increased when I would be meeting the only passenger." Re: Take The Train To Training? - 552/1620 Written by admin (Graham Ellis) on Friday, 13th October 2006 Yes, many of our customers were (and have remained until recent weeks) dependent on the train - and indeed on trains that are busy, but to be withdrawn in December. But as a business, when one of our suppliers pulls out of a market or makes it very clear by his actions that he's not interested in the custom we bring him, we need to look for alternatives. I expect the withdrawl of all peak and daytime trains from the route through Melksham will dramatically cut passenger numbers (110k journeys per annum), but as Dr Ladyman at the DfT pointed out, it won't make a huge difference to the FgW franchise as a whole. Certainly, our own customers - and we provide a very small proportion of the line's users - will only very rarely find the new times are convenient. Huge pity. Re: Take The Train To Training? - 552/1621 Written by Lee on Saturday, 14th October 2006 [quote author=Graham Ellis link=topic=552.msg1620#msg1620 date=1160761453]I expect the withdrawl of all peak and daytime trains from the route through Melksham will dramatically cut passenger numbers (110k journeys per annum), but as Dr Ladyman at the DfT pointed out, it won't make a huge difference to the FgW franchise as a whole.[/quote] You know , Graham , I am not so sure about that. Remember the letter from Derek Twigg? (link below.) http://www.savethetrain.org.uk/melkshamrailway/145_Letter_from_Derek_Twigg.html "The highest numbers tend to be found between Chippenham and Swindon in the eastbound direction and, in the mornings, between Trowbridge and Westbury westbound. Alternative services are available on both these sections of route." So what of the above passengers and those from destinations south of and including Trowbridge who are likely to have to change at Bath for a train to Chippenham & Swindon? Are they going to find these alternative services acceptable? The same alternative services which will partly be provided by Portsmouth / Westbury link to index of articles |
|||
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 | |||
|
|||
Further Information:
Home
Current Summary
Daily update
User forum
Consultation
Service now
Service future
Future Analysis
Recent Statistics
Recent letters
Letter to DfT
Save the train
Presentation
Support us
Other Maps
Station facilities
Station approach
Pictures
Trains diverted
History
About Melksham
Site Map
About this site