| Archived Save the Train forum articles - 2005 to 2010. See below
Network Rail Evaluating The Potential For Container Freight Route Via Melksham - 6780/11338 Written by Lee on Sunday, 6th April 2008 From the Network Rail Strategic Business Plan Update (Page 24 of the link below) : http://www.networkrail.co.uk/browse%20documents/StrategicBusinessPlan/RoutePlans/2008/Route%2013%20-%20Great%20Western%20Main%20Line.pdf [quote="Network Rail Strategic Business Plan Update"]To meet the challenge of increased growth in freight from the Southampton ports to the Midlands, the north of England and Scotland, we shall be re-evaluating elements of the former SRA Southampton Re: Network Rail Evaluating The Potential For Container Freight Route Via Melksh - 6780/11341 Written by admin (Graham Ellis) on Sunday, 6th April 2008 [quote author=Lee link=topic=6780.msg11338#msg11338 date=1207460617] From the Network Rail Strategic Business Plan Update (Page 24 of the link below) : http://www.networkrail.co.uk/browse%20documents/StrategicBusinessPlan/RoutePlans/2008/Route%2013%20-%20Great%20Western%20Main%20Line.pdf [quote="Network Rail Strategic Business Plan Update"]To meet the challenge of increased growth in freight from the Southampton ports to the Midlands, the north of England and Scotland, we shall be re-evaluating elements of the former SRA Southampton Re: Network Rail Evaluating The Potential For Container Freight Route Via Melksham - 6780/11344 Written by Lee on Sunday, 6th April 2008 Further quote from the Network Rail Strategic Business Plan Update (Page 11 of the link below.) http://www.networkrail.co.uk/browse%20documents/StrategicBusinessPlan/RoutePlans/2008/Route%204%20-%20Wessex%20Routes.pdf [quote="Network Rail Strategic Business Plan Update"]The W10 gauge enhancement scheme on Route 3 between Southampton and the West Coast Main Line has now been granted Transport Innovation Fund (TIF) funding. This is likely to encourage growth in container traffic from Southampton, but if a suitable diversionary route is not provided then such growth could well be choked off given the increasing usage of 9 Re: Network Rail Evaluating The Potential For Container Freight Route Via Melksh - 6780/11348 Written by Industry Insider on Sunday, 6th April 2008 This could well work out in you campaigns favour, gentlemen. The W10 guage enhancement scheme is quite a 'biggie' so signalling and track enhancements will be considered on a much grander scale and could have far reaching impact upon the route through Melksham. During the early stages of the WCML modernisation for example, the route between Banbury and Leamington Spa was totally re-signalled purely because, for a short time only, it acted as a strategic diversionary route for WCML passengers as Chiltern needed to step up their services. The removal of the long Absolute Block sections between Banbury-Fenny Compton-Leamington boxes and their replacement with 4-aspect colour light signals has quartered headway's between trains, but would probably never had been funded on an 'individual scheme' basis. Perhaps such improvements as part of this wider W10 scheme will lead to local improvements that would further enchance the prospects of developing the TransWilts service? Re: Network Rail Evaluating The Potential For Container Freight Route Via Melksham - 6780/11350 Written by Lee on Sunday, 6th April 2008 One would hope so. Alternatively, the slashing of passenger services on the Melksham line could be linked to a desire to turn it into a key freight route, as defined by the Future Of Transport White Paper : [quote="Future Of Transport White Paper"]"Because of the high up-front investment costs for rail freight, businesses using these services need to be sure about their access to the network. But this has to be balanced with the fact that freight users only pay for the cost of operating their services and not for the costs of the underlying infrastructure. Freight operators will be given greater certainty about their rights on the national network, and a group of key routes will be identified on which freight will enjoy and pay for more assured rights of access." [/quote] We know that FGW and Network Rail have had discussions about potential lack of paths for passenger trains should the number of freight trains using the Melksham line increase. Similar discussions have taken place regarding the Melksham line becoming a key freight route. Of course, implementing an appropriate TransWilts passenger service from December 2008 would be a great way of allaying such fears (link below.) http://www.savethetrain.org.uk/pledge.html Whereas a gradual (or indeed not so gradual) increase in the number of well-wagon container trains using the Melksham line over the coming years, in preparation for possible full freight-only status, would have the opposite effect...... Re: Network Rail Evaluating The Potential For Container Freight Route Via Melksh - 6780/11356 Written by Industry Insider on Sunday, 6th April 2008 Indeed, Lee - that is also a possibility. I think the next two or three years could be absolutely vital for the routes prospects - even if a more frequent service is introduced this December, it will need sustained impetus. Pull it off and it could well be Graham and yourself popping along to the Palace to pick up a little something for 'Services to Transport' - dare I suggest you'd be rather more deserving recipients than a certain Network Rail boss! ;) Re: Network Rail Evaluating The Potential For Container Freight Route Via Melksh - 6780/11360 Written by admin (Graham Ellis) on Sunday, 6th April 2008 [quote author=Industry Insider link=topic=6780.msg11356#msg11356 date=1207490844] Indeed, Lee - that is also a possibility. I think the next two or three years could be absolutely vital for the routes prospects - even if a more frequent service is introduced this December, it will need sustained impetus. [/quote] Agreed - the target is regain AND RETAIN ;) and that means keeping up the profile. I am *not* a campaigner by background or nature, so I have learned a lot as I go. But sometimes there's a case of opposites attract; in this case, on one side you learn to take the knocks and the setbacks (which have come almost exclusively from people who don't live in the area, or in a very few cases wouldn't be seen dead on a train) and on the other there's the overwhelming support from people talked to up and down the line, including some of the most unexpected sources. I for one won't be going away after the appropriate service is back, but I'll be far more geared to supporting it, and I suspect that in the expensive-fuel, greener world other will treasure it just as much in the aftershock of being without for 2 years! Re: Network Rail Evaluating The Potential For Container Freight Route Via Melksham - 6780/12996 Written by Lee on Wednesday, 13th May 2009 Over a year has gone by since this topic was first posted, and there was a very relevant DfT release yesterday entitled "Strategic Freight Network: The Longer-Term Vision" (link below.) http://www.dft.gov.uk/pgr/rail/strategyfinance/strategy/freightnetwork/ I have blogged on its possible impact on the TransWilts line (link below.) http://fletcherworld-fletcherworld.blogspot.com/2009/05/strategic-freight-network-and.html 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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