The system is overcomplex - no wonder some odd things happen
I travelled one stop on the train - from Keynsham to Bristol - yesterday morning. The tracks over which I travelled are owned by Network Rail - that's a government owned sorta-quango that's set up in such a way that its assets don't actually appear in government stats. I bought my ticket from Wessex Trains - they're a part of the National Express group. I travelled on a train operated by South West Trains - they're part of the Stagecoach group. And I arrived at a station at which my ticket was checked upon exit by First Great Western. The whole shooting match is administered by the Department for Transport who have taken over in the last few months from the Strategic Rail Authority, and the whole shooting match is regulated by the Office of the Rail Regulator.
I dread to think how much of my 3 pound fare for the six minute ride was spend in allocating my payment around between the 10 names I have quoted.
And I think it's little wonder that with such an overcomplex system that services being specified for the future are being criticised as inappropriate in Bicester, in Cornwall, in Westbury, and in Melksham.
Written 2005-10-21 06:08:27
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A Quandry
Santa Claus at Melksham Station
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Should badgers be culled?
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Christmas service - unrequired, or just unprovided?
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Wilts County Council could save the Melksham / Transwilts train
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Winners and losers in the Devizes constituency
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On the 05:52 this morning
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Service failure looses more customers
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It gets worse
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Home soon.
Put yourself in their shoes
Lies, damned lies and statistics
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Selling off any possibility of improvement
Letter from Derek Twigg
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Rail future - the First Alternative
Pivotal decison - to grow or to strangle?
Bad news coming?
In praise of estate agents
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A desire for honesty
Flowers for Melksham. Flowers at Melksham.
Has our publicity reached the right people?
One year on
A year on - an empty bank holiday
Bus connections to Melksham from Chippenham
Is this train used?
If its working well, change it so it doesnt.
20% service cut = 40% traffic cut?
A difficult choice for voters
Consultant's reports recommended a modest INCREASE
From Ystrad Mynach
Taunton meeting
More cancellations
Passenger or lemmings
Behind the new timetable
Is this fare?
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Fading away?
Coming to a course in Melksham
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Fizzle
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Christmas, 2006
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Passengers or Customers?
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The traveller, not the train!
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Helsinki and Heathrow to Melksham - Saturday
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We have another hill to climb
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Weymouth, Poor Provisional, and Sunday
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The Ghost Train, Purton
How to fill platforms, and railway company coffers too!
FSB - North and West Wilts Commitee - Federation of Small Businesses
Frustrated but not depairing
Front page update
Comment on December timetables
A First to Stagecoach comparison
Does the new man want to play hard?
And the week ends with two more cancellations!
Comparing a Wiltshire town with a Norfolk one
Commutes are longer, and in the west we may know why
Campaigning Mantra - Philosophy behind the case
30 late, and a bus not a train ....
Staffing-go-round - but the campaigners carry on
Rail user groups do NOT represent rail users?
Cancellations, Changes and Crass Christmas
First Great Western's Melksham service branded "a disgrace"
A pile of 160 train tickets for tomorrow
Santa Claus spotted at Swindon Station
TransWilts trains ceased a year ago. Lets look forward
Trains to and from Melksham - Timetable from Dec07 to May08
Happy Christmas everyone!
How have trains being doing in the last 48 hours?
Asda - an opportunity that can be used or squandered
Another slap in the face from First Great Western
On truthfully advertising the case
Fare Strike Day
Comparing a different part of the country
Where has our train gone?
Want to comment? You're welcome on the forum
An unusual journey for me - some observations
Milk producers
Meeting Season
The heart says "public transport", the head forces car
Not a Swiss clock railway this morning
Senseless service - could become sensible
Terminal 5 - a portent for the Olympics?
Loss of train - loss of job
Population growth, but congested roads
Road - busy ... railway - no trains, so no users
One long journey ends and another begins
Campaign update - news for December 08 / 09 / 10 / 11 ...
Preserved Railways - a look forward
Spring 2009 Campaign update
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