Looking slightly wider
I've concentrated on Swindon to Westbury, with three intermediate stops - but there are other services / patterns outside the area that should be looked at / considered. Some are wild suggestions, others sensible. Some have major cost (Sponsorship ?) implications. Logged here ... to have all the cards on the table and NOT to dilute the specific campaign
Salisbury and Southampton
The present Swindon - Chippenham - Melksham - Trowbridge - Westbury service rus through - in theory - to Warminster, Salisbury, Romsey and Southampton. In 2001, most trains ran through. But in the last couple of years, more trains have stopped short, have had a layover of up to 30 minutes added at Westbury, or are running through but advertised as a connecting not a through service.
One of the trickier things that I'm considering at the moment is whether I should be looking to represent / save the whole through service, or have a more specific target of the Swindon to Westbury section. Onwards from there, there are other train services and the Swindon train fills in part of a pattern; I don't know loadings or the metrics of stations like Dean, Dunbridge and (closer to home) Dilton Marsh. Part of me says the whole service should be discussed / saved. And another part says that a good connection onwards at Westbury might be a good or better solution. I do have letters from Southampton and Salisbury councils offering at least a degree of support / concern into the train loss - all be it that the support is much more concerned with loss of local frequency there.
Southampton Airport
A daily service used to run direct to / from Southampton airport but that queitly slipped away. Good airport, useful link. Shame it went. A fully retained / revitalised Swindon to Southampton could "loop" Romsey - Eastleigh - Southampton Airport - Southampton - Romsey and would provide an excellent and useful through service from Salisbury, North and West Wilts and Swindon. But it would need to be most / every service not just the last train of the day!
The Bradford on Avon Curve
The North Curve at Bradford on Avon was taken out of use in about 1990. Prior to that point it allowed the line through Melksham to be an even more useful diversionary route if there were engineering works in Corsham / Box tunnel. Correspondents have suggested that the curve be re-instated and that it would give the opportunity for a through commuter (and more) service to Bath / Bristol / Abbey Wood without any need to change; these are all Melksham commuter flows.
A train every 2 hours
With a selfcontained service on the Swindon to Westbury section, reliability could be improved (dependent on connections being kept / allowed to miss / timing of them) and with a single train set service could increase to a train every two hours. A preliminary look suggests ex Westbury at 05:45, 07:45, 09:45, 12:45, 14:45, 16:45, 18:45 and 20:45, returning from Swindon at 06:45, 08:45, 10:45, 13:45, 15:45, 17:45, 19:45 and 21:45. Nice regular pattern, with a one hour break during the day for staff / servicing of the set, and the pattern fits the current services / user flows with minimal
major change.
Wootton Bassett and West Swindon Parkway
There have been suggestions of a West Swindon park and ride / commuter service and a re-opened station at Wootton Bassett. The Westbury service is the ONLY train along this line that isn't a 125 mph express and is the logical service to provide the extra stops. The former Bristol to Oxford service would have provided this service (and also a stop in Corsham where a new station was on the cards) until it was withdrawn.
(Footnote - why was it withdrawn. I think we were told that it was because the capacity wasn't there / tracks were overused. Rumour suggested that most Train Opperating Companies had to sacrifice a service or two due to capacity, even though in Great Western's case there really wasn't a track capacity problem ... it was done to look fair. What were traffic level like? I know I used the service and Melksham of Chippenham to Oxford has changed from a pleasure to a nightmare with poor connections at Didcot and even from Chippenham, sometimes the need to change twice)
Filton Abbey Wood
At present, several rush hour services from Filton Abbey Wood run direct (not via Bristol Temple Meads) to Keynsham, Bath, and the West Wilts line. I understand these direct trains may be under threat, with passengers required to change at Temple Meads ... slowing and adding misery to a commute. We have commuter(s) from Melksham who change onto this service at Trowbridge, And Filton / North Bristol is a major employment area. I have used the train to travel to both Abbey Wood and Bristol Parkway on business, and the changes mooted would have a seriously detrimental effect on journey times.
To be continued to ...
Lacock and Holt
Oxford to Westbury
Westbury to London
Westbury Westward
The night sleeper
Written 2005-09-09 06:34:29
Available entries ...
Welcome to News and Views
Welcome to News and Views
The story so far
Don't let this become history!
Meeting, 20th September - getting nervous
Encouraging traffic not just warm words
Official (Government) view ... and I agree
Excursion!
Don't believe everything you hear
Old pictures. Not to be repeated event
Meeting!
Great meeting but just a start.
35% Growth in one year - Melksham ticket statistics
Swindon to Trowbridge
Regularity, Reliability, Realistic connections
Core meeting
Didn't you read page 52 of web document?
An easy timetable - Melksham to Chippenham and Swindon
Would this government close a station completely?
Quotes from Government
Tuesday, 18th October - Kiss and Ride day
Six NEW factors why the TransWilts train that serves Melksham should be enhanced and not cut
And more train users ...
Try the train on 18th October
Tracking codes for TransWilts stations
New stats prove it - the service IS used
Bump from Glasgow
Ready for Tuesday
Kiss and Ride report
A case of the tail wagging the dog??
The system is overcomplex - no wonder some odd things happen
Warminster Bus Running Day, 2005
The storm's eye?
A disappointing letter
Some scenes at Melksham Station
Monday morning, Melksham Station
Busy train at Melksham
Forum Archives available
A THOUSAND visitors
What does it cost to run a train?
Timetable - Melksham to Reading and London
Plus a footnote - Melksham to London
A bustle before the 17:02
STILL worth writing. To MP, To Dft, to bidders.
Keeping the campaign tail up
Don't drink and drive - drink and train.
Driving customers away?
Latest official answer
At Temple Meads today
Melksham and TransWilts train service - closure by stealth?
From the rumour mill
A Quandry
Santa Claus at Melksham Station
Train service fading away too?
Greater Western Franchise awarded
First Group - First answer on Melksham
First specific Melksham rumour ...
Virtually no service - or excellent service. Request the latter.
Should badgers be culled?
Melksham rail traffic up 33% in 3 months
Upside Down
Every journey has a story
New fares from 2nd January 2006
No final decision yet
Even new stations don't always survive
A comparison across the world
Christmas service - unrequired, or just unprovided?
Update
New year, 2006
Bustitution - buses for trains on Saturdays and Sundays
New Sign
The Meeting Season
Reply from MD of First Great Western
Wilts County Council could save the Melksham / Transwilts train
What does First pay the government for Greater Western?
Railway statistics and Melksham comparisons - how do we stand?
Winners and losers in the Devizes constituency
First want to hear your aspirations
Repeat - PLEASE write in with your aspirations
Were they purchasing votes?
Current status ...
Further threats
Keep watching - coming to the boil!
Recent Correspondence
From my postbag ...
Timetable consultation coming up
Waiting, with baited breath
Meeting with a local MP
Today or tomorrow
Draft Timetable is here
Out with the old users, in with the new
On the 05:52 this morning
Background and opinion
Draft timetables (continued)
Three and a half answers out of 4
A week is a long time
Roger Jones answers 5 months later!
Safer current trains - the 06:56, 07:45 and 18:09
INPUTS NEEDED by 8th March
Meetings and Consultation Responses
A whole pile of responses
Ploughing back OUR money, not theirs.
New pages and information
On supporting other campaigns ...
Not just the TransWilts and Melksham ...
Service failure looses more customers
The Waiting Game
Real time train monitoring
Someone can't wait!
High emotion
UPDATE - new timetables
An update - BAD, BAD news for Melksham ...
First - transforming travel
Constituency Changes
Southampton to Westbury RESTORED
Friday, 21st, Trowbridge
Meeting, Friday 21st
Celebrating a closure
Meeting, tonight
Friday's meeting
What SWPTUF says
Meeting, 21st - notes
Parliamentary Debate, 25th April
First back down or buses too.
Diary Date - 12th May
Waverley
RailFuture meeting today
RailFuture meeting - some gems
First way to get rid of customers?
Friday meeting - invite and details
It gets worse
Every so often, stop and look
Bus service costs 25 pounds per passenger to run?
Carrying fresh air around?
Home soon.
Put yourself in their shoes
Lies, damned lies and statistics
Our battle ....
... is part of a planned war
Political pressure - press release
How to catch the 18:48 from Chippenham - the DfT suggests
Internet connection issues
Selling off any possibility of improvement
Letter from Derek Twigg
Important but not refreshing meeting
Welcome for Michael Ancram and Chris Grayling
Visit by Chris Grayling and Michael Ancram
Friday, 7th July - Melksham
Rail future - the First Alternative
Pivotal decison - to grow or to strangle?
Bad news coming?
In praise of estate agents
Press Release - Open Access operator negotiations
Open Access case strengthened
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?
Returning from their UK course
End of term - don't care
Current and future summary
2 weeks to go
Fading away?
Coming to a course in Melksham
Last Week - Press Release
Fizzle
They're gone ... but ...
New service - first impressions
"Told you so"
Christmas, 2006
Welcome to 2007
PLEASE LOBBY - First, Dft, County Council, your MP
Key players
Keeping the diary rolling
End game?
Save the Train v More Train, Less Strain
Invite letter - 5th March 2007 meeting
IMPROVED PUBLIC TRANSPORT LINKS ACROSS WILTSHIRE?
Passengers or Customers?
A fast-moving story?
The traveller, not the train!
Report - Monday night's meeting - press brief
What is happening?
Reply to Petition
Petition Response - detail, opinion, context
Government pressure to shut up. But let us look forward.
Asking for the political and part views
Helsinki and Heathrow to Melksham - Saturday
Gordon Dodge, Rest in Peace
An update
The way forward - improved service and improved station
A roundup from a MELKSHAM perspective
Update being updated!
News Roundup - a LOT is happening
Diary notes
New faces - mayors and chairs.
We have another hill to climb
Radio - tomorrow morning?
Weymouth, Poor Provisional, and Sunday
A Comparison - travel in the USA by train
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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