Save the Melksham Train
Archived Save the Train forum articles - 2005 to 2010. See below
From a regular traveller from Frome to Swindon - 83/173
Written by user on Friday, 9th December 2005

I moved to Frome in July 2005 because I thought I would be able to get a train to work and back in Swindon everyday. I use the morning and evening service but have also made use of the early afternoon train as well.

The service in the evening is frequently cancelled which leads me to feel that not only do they want to reduce the service but that they also want to cut it altogether.

This is ridiculous when we're supposedly being encouraged by the government to use alternative methods of transport rather than the car.
Everybody who uses this service relies on it, some of us not having cars and we\'re angry at how poor the service is getting. We need this service to improve not get worse.

Re: From a regular traveller from Frome to Swindon - 83/175
Written by admin (Graham Ellis) on Friday, 9th December 2005

A very interesting message, thanks - it serves as a reminder of the many through journeys made.  There's 75 ticket sales to / from Melksham per day, and 300 passengers joining the trains in the Wilts county council area (Chippneham, Melksham, Trowbridge and Westbury).  Here's an example of yet further, and regular, journeys made that haven't been counted in even that higher total.

Yes, truely, the proposed cuts ARE ridiculous as is the current poor service level.

 
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


This site is hosted by Well House Consultants Ltd. (http://www.wellho.net)
Contact Information
 

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