| Archived Save the Train forum articles - 2005 to 2010. See below
Dunbar & Melksham - 603/1805 Written by Lee on Thursday, 2nd November 2006 Here is a link that might interest you. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/edinburgh_and_east/6107070.stm Quotes from the above link : "Minister for Transport Tavish Scott said: "If we are to convince people to leave their cars at home, then we need to give them real travel alternatives." "Chris Gibb, Virgin CrossCountry managing director, said: "Virgin Trains are delighted to be able to work with Transport Scotland to meet the wishes of the people of Dunbar, both for an early morning commuter train to Edinburgh, with Glasgow connections, and a late evening train from Edinburgh on Fridays allowing a night out in the capital." This , of course , is in stark contrast to the DfT and First , who have worked together to ignore the wishes of the people of Melksham , by removing an early morning commuter train to and a late evening train from Swindon. First also seem intent on convincing people to drive their cars to Chippenham railway station , without giving them REAL travel alternatives (link below.) http://www.firstgreatwestern.co.uk/NewsItem.aspx?id=402 Re: Dunbar & Melksham - 603/1808 Written by Sion Bretton on Thursday, 2nd November 2006 Didn't Chris Gibbs work for wessex trains at one time in pass Re: Dunbar & Melksham - 603/1811 Written by Lee on Thursday, 2nd November 2006 He was Wales & West / Wales & Borders Operations Director 1997 - 2001 & MD 2001 -2003. He would also almost certainly have played a role , along with several other organisations , in the introduction of the off - peak service that Melksham is about to lose (links below.) http://archive.thisiswiltshire.co.uk/2001/5/18/218227.html http://www.atworth-village-online.org.uk/travel.htm Re: Dunbar & Melksham - 603/1814 Written by admin (Graham Ellis) on Thursday, 2nd November 2006 Dunbar has a population or around 6.400 in the 2001 census - that's about a third of the size of Melksham at about that time. Like Melksham, Dunbar is also a fast-growing town. I would encourage such an increase in rail services; the pity is that there are other cases too (such as Melksham) that are even stronger than those of Dunbar and Dronfield. Re: Dunbar & Melksham - 603/1815 Written by Lee on Thursday, 2nd November 2006 [quote author=Graham Ellis link=topic=603.msg1814#msg1814 date=1162489625]Dunbar has a population or around 6.400 in the 2001 census - that's about a third of the size of Melksham at about that time. Like Melksham, Dunbar is also a fast-growing town. I would encourage such an increase in rail services; the pity is that there are other cases too (such as Melksham) that are even stronger than those of Dunbar and Dronfield.[/quote] Its not that I begrudge Dronfield & Dunbar their extra services (best of luck to them) , Graham , its the almost complete contrast with Melksham that interests me. I also find it facinating that Gibb was involved in both the 2001 Melksham service increase AND the proposed Dunbar increase , and that both were a result of the RIGHT sort of co-operation between TOC's and other organisations. Re: Dunbar & Melksham - 603/1817 Written by admin (Graham Ellis) on Thursday, 2nd November 2006 Lee, you and I are on the same 'side' on this. I (and I believe you) wish Dronfield, Dunbar and others all the very best with their increased services. And we feel that if the case is made for them, then it's more than made for Melksham. Perhaps we should choose one of these as an example to ask Andrew Seedhouse about on Tuesday next in Trowbridge. 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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