| Archived Save the Train forum articles - 2005 to 2010. See below
E-mail from FGW regarding the TransWilts - 7861/12653 Written by Graz on Tuesday, 8th July 2008 Bad news I'm afraid. :( -- Dear Graham, Thank you again for your email regarding rail services in Wiltshire. As promised by Andrew Haines in his reply I can now update you on progress. We had hoped that we could organise an additional service through Wiltshire serving Melksham in particular. We looked very carefully at all the options, but whilst the plan received good support, and remains something we want to do, the cost of the new service is considerable. It will not be covered by the revenue that the service will generate, and as a commercial organisation we can only therefore proceed if we can find some joint funding to offset the costs. Despite our efforts this has to not proved possible to date, and we will not be able to offer any extra services in the next timetable due out in December. We will continue to discuss the plans with stakeholders and will keep looking for a partner to help finance the service, but this will not be possible before the December 2009 timetable (at the earliest). Thank you again for your interest and I am sorry that I do not have better news. Yours sincerely Leigh Owen Customer Services Advisor So the question is now 'What's next?' I, personally have plenty of enthusiasm to keep the campaign going in the hope that we will soon see this happen. Re: E-mail from FGW regarding the TransWilts - 7861/12654 Written by Lee on Tuesday, 8th July 2008 I got much the same e-mail. [quote author=Graz link=topic=7861.msg12653#msg12653 date=1215515300]So the question is now 'What's next?' I, personally have plenty of enthusiasm to keep the campaign going in the hope that we will soon see this happen.[/quote] I just so happen to have something in mind along those lines...watch this space Re: E-mail from FGW regarding the TransWilts - 7861/12656 Written by Sion Bretton on Tuesday, 8th July 2008 Yes I had e-mail from FGW was well :( Re: E-mail from FGW regarding the TransWilts - 7861/12658 Written by WyvusArconius on Tuesday, 8th July 2008 Likewise... and I also have plenty of enthusiasum to keep going. I await the results of Lee's "watch this space"... Re: E-mail from FGW regarding the TransWilts - 7861/12659 Written by admin (Graham Ellis) on Wednesday, 9th July 2008 No hasty reply from me - but basically "not surprised". We have around 500 people signed up to the pledge of support; 95% of them in th elocal area, nearly 20% of them elected representatives. But we have a handful of people (perhaps less than a handful) with various contradictory motive(s) who are NOT onside with all aspects of the proposal, and who can (because of their position) go against the common will in the area and common sense. Re: E-mail from FGW regarding the TransWilts - 7861/12669 Written by Nick on Sunday, 13th July 2008 Same message :( Could they not increase the fares, and cover the costs that way? Re: E-mail from FGW regarding the TransWilts - 7861/12673 Written by Lee on Monday, 14th July 2008 Taken from FOSBR Meeting (12/07/2008) notes by I Work For FGW blog author, link below) : http://www.iworkforfgw.com/viewtopic.php?f=4&t=118&start=0&st=0&sk=t&sd=a [quote="I Work For FGW blog"]TransWilts Service Andrew (Griffiths) admits current service is useless. Says a decent peak service could be provided but would cost additional train crew, and no-one willing to help financially.[/quote] 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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