Save the Melksham Train
Archived Save the Train forum articles - 2005 to 2010. See below
Commuters Find Bury St Edmunds Station Locked Up - 7911/12752
Written by Lee on Saturday, 23rd August 2008

National Express has apologised to passengers who arrived at Bury St Edmunds railway station only to find the gates locked after one of its staff was late for work (link below.)
http://www.eadt.co.uk/content/eadt/news/story.aspx?brand=EADOnline&category=News&tBrand=EADOnline&tCategory=News&itemid=IPED21%20Aug%202008%2021%3A34%3A56%3A247

Eyewitnesses reported seeing a number of people crossing the railway line to board their trains after being advised to use a side entrance to the station.


Re: Commuters Find Bury St Edmunds Station Locked Up - 7911/12764
Written by admin (Graham Ellis) on Monday, 25th August 2008

[quote author=Lee link=topic=7911.msg12752#msg12752 date=1219484918]
Eyewitnesses reported seeing a number of people crossing the railway line to board their trains after being advised to use a side entrance to the station.
[/quote]

.... and (reading the article) it looks like that was a major concern.  Fair enough - but I was reminded what a contrast that is to the railway at Melksham - where we have this unprotected crossing on a public footpath:



When I lived in Kent, there was a least a surface of sleepers to make the walkway easier but here in Melksham, Network Rail (is it their responsibility?) provide nothing but a sign.

I'm minded too of the crossing at Twyford station, where a level crossing over the running lines is a very busy access for pedestrians to the station car park.

 
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


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