Save the Melksham Train
STOP PRESS - we have heard from First Great Western in the last few days, as follows:

"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)."

See who has signed up to pledge support, more details of the validated service that has just had the plug pulled and some personal comment
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Weekends January and February 2006

From January 7th to 26th Febuary 2006 the train from Swindon to Westbury will be replaced by a bus on Saturdays and Sundays. Note - TRAINS run on 4th February


On SATURDAYS, departures are from Swindon at 08:00, 14:00, 17:00 and 23:06 calling at Chippenham 35 minutes later, Melksham 55 minutes later, Trowbridge an hour and 10 minutes after Swindon, and arriving at Westbury an hour and 25 minutes out from Swindon.

On SUNDAYS, departures from Swindon are at 12:35, 16:45 and 21:41. with journey times as on Saturdays.

Return SATURDAY BUSES leave Westbury at 07:50, 13:30, 16:45 and 21:40 taking 15 minutes to Trowbridge, 30 minutes to Melksham, 50 minutes to Chippenham and an hour and 25 minutes to Swindon.

On SUNDAYS, buses will leave Westbury at 12:29, 16:30 and 20:34.

"Bustitution" is a poor alternative to the train. The journey time is twice as long by bus as by train, and the service will not take heavy luggage or bicycles. It's also something that we've become all too familiar with ... many is the time that I've been meeting someone at Melksham station and had to wait around for a bus that's arrived a long time after the scheduled train. At least we have good notice for this Autumn.

If you're attending a Well House Consultants course and arriving on the Sunday evening, please let us know and we can collect you from WESTBURY station instead of Melksham. If you're arriving on a weekday train, usual arrangements (Melksham station pickups) apply.
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