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April 29, 2006
Diary Date - 12th May
It's the AGM of the Melksham Rail Development Group ...
I'm afraid I've cheekily hijacked the meeting somewhat by getting Andrew Griffiths - newly appointed as General Manager Central, First Great Western to come along, say a few words and answer some questions. We're hoping to start the meeting early - say 18:15 - as Andrew has to leave for a train at about 19:30, but I'm hoping we can have a full discussion on the new services, but also on bus substitution, costings and economics of the line, the lack of cheap fares after the changes and what we can do to at this stage to persuade the powers that be to retain the service.
Anyone will be welcome ...
Posted by gje at 07:14 AM
April 26, 2006
First back down or buses too.
Very interesting email from First Bus this morning
(a) It seems that PART OF THEIR BID for the franchise included the extension of the 234 service bus to Chippenham station (to provide replecements for the trains)
(b) Their local bus manager tells me that they are NOT now going to provide he bus link which was part of the winning bid.
Posted by gje at 09:58 AM
April 25, 2006
Parliamentary Debate, 25th April
Private Member's debate, Westminster Hall. We encouraged all our MPs to go / speak on the "Greater Western Franchise". Alastair Darling / Derek Twigg should have been there (I have no confirmation which of them was ...). Michael Ancram wrote to me:
Thank you for your message about the debate on trains in the south west held in Westminster Hall this morning. It was well attended by MPs from across the region. I intervened in the debate to raise the specific points about Melksham and the reduction in services and also the more general points about the effects of these reductions on road usage, the environment, business and the mobility of the elderly. By definition these debates are short and more about putting things on the record rather than getting answers.
I will continue therefore to press Melksham’s case.
Posted by gje at 05:02 PM
April 23, 2006
Meeting, 21st - notes
Friday 21st April, Trowbridge.
I arrived on the 18:09 from Melksham, walked in after Dr Andrew Murrison (MP for Westbury) had started talking; he was emphasising the through Bristol to Waterloo trains as that, he told us, what the big railway subject in his postbag. He did confirm that he'll be attending the debate on the Greater Western Franchise in parliament on Tuesday, and urged us to let him (if his constituents) know of our concerns by then. I've written to my own MP, Michael Ancram, to encourage him to attend too.
Main Meeting
South West Public Transport Users' Forum , Chris Irwin in the chair.
Chris introduced Andrew Griffiths, new General Manager for Bristol and Somerset for First, who was seated beside him on the platform. Andrew was formerly with Wessex Trains, looking after the Cornish Branch lines, and did a sterling job in growing use and traffic there. We welcome him to this part of the network.
In his introduction, Chris told us that any improvements would likely have to
be based on availability of stock, and that in the current climate it would be unlikely for the government to sanction any extra capital expenditure such as restoring track to the third platform at Chippenham or the fourth at Westbury. And he said that any changes would need to be based on strong evidence.
GORDON EDWARDS has analysed in some detail the draft timetables and replied to the 8th March consultation for SWPTUF. His reply stated that the draft timetable had so many holes in it, with two trains in opposite directions on the same single line at the same time, many missed connections and so little regard to current customer flows that it really wasn't fit for purpose.
He highlighted Keynsham, where the 4 three-coach trains that run from Bristol in the evening peak are reduced to 2 two-coach trains. He highlighted Frome, with an 07:04 departure to Bristol followed by a 2 hour gap ...
Gordon was unable to comment on First's planned changes of 3rd April as they're only proposals to be put to the DfT yet and so they're even more wooly in their definition than the draft timetables.
KATE HOARE. Head of Strategic Development. Planning Transport and. Sustainable Development. Kate highlighted how the new timetables abandoned the needs of the poorer sector of society; there's a much higher proportion of schools traffic and relatively local travel to work, hospital type traffic - as well as leisure and tourism - on the Portsmouth and Southampton to Bristol and Swindon lines, and their needs seem to have come below other user's aspirations.
ANDREW GRIFFITHS. General Manager for the Area, First. Andrew told us that the 9000 or so responses to the consultation basically filtered down to around 40 areas of concern. He believes that the 3rd April proposals solve around a half of these, and address to some degree a lot (but not all) of the other issues.
[[Speaking with Andrew personally, it seems that the Swindon to Southamton service and trains to Melksham is one of the issues that has not been dealt with. He offered a sympathetic ear, and a willingness to provide much more information to me which I have followed up already by email. He also took away a copy of our various reports which I think were new to him (could be wrong on that) and will read them through. Most notably, the report that Julian Crow said there was "nothing wrong" with that advocated a two-hourly service]]
The timetable from December will be available, subject to Network Rail and ministerial signoff, on the web from June. At that point it is said that major changes would not be possible.
First will consult again on services from December 2007, starting in January 2007.
The FLOOR WAS THROWN OPEN to questions (Chris Irwin is excellent at giving everyone a fair word at these events!) and many points were raised and discussed. One of these was the Swindon to Westbury Service, and it was notable that there was considerable support there for the line - I would say a sizable minority of the audience. There were some gasps of surprise when the new service was described from delegates from other parts. Several speakers spoke (including a professional Transport planner) spoke of moving to Melksham because of the current service, and having now to reconsider.
Andrew offered no hope / suggestions other than to keep writing and for the local authorities to work together on this one, which doesn't happen enough in this part of the country and is one of the reasons we're coming poorly out of this current series of reviews. Officers from Wiltshire suggested that they co-operate across borders, citing the case of the Community rail line from Bristol to Weymouth even though they decided not to join the Severnside Transport Group; they didn't mention any co-operation with Swindon or Hampshire as regards the Swindon to Southampton line.
Posted by gje at 08:18 PM
What SWPTUF says
I hope that the South West Passenger Transport User's Forum won't mind me making this quote from their web site..
Service connections from Swindon, one of the region's growth centres, to the South are much valued. It is very disappointing that the Swindon- Chippenham-Melksham- Trowbridge - Southampton service is proposed to be withdrawn, especially given the growth that West Wiltshire has asked for along the A350 corridor. The 12-hourly service now proposed between Chippenham (45,000), Melksham (growing to 25,000) and Trowbridge (growing to 47,000) is woefully inadequate.
SWPTUF is a body which is sponsored by The First Group, Stagecoach, National Express and the South West Regional assembly. See their site at http://www.accesssouthwest.org
Posted by gje at 05:55 PM
Friday's meeting
Minutes from the Friday night meeting, including a link through which you can contact the MPs should be up on the SWPTUF web site during today. The URL is http://www.accesssouthwest.org/.
I have already written to Michael Ancram, who's my MP, in the following terms:
Posted by gje at 02:53 PM
April 21, 2006
Meeting, tonight
Meeting by Trowbridge station, Tonight (Friday, 21st April) from 6 p.m. onwards.
I've been planning to travel down on the 18:09 from Melksham but see it was cancelled - AGAIN - last night; I really don't want to miss the meeting so I have a conundrum .... to risk the train service or to drive.
Yesterday's train running was truely dreadful - looks like 4 out of the 10 trains were cancelled and that can't be put down to a single "incident" as it was the morning rush hour round trip and the evening rush hour round trip. When it gets to this sort of level, the average user is going to be saying to him or her self "why bother" or "what's the alternative" ....
I'll be there tonight. On the train if it runs. By car if it doesn't .... I'm one of the lucky ones as I can drive. Think of the guy who can't drive for medical reasons who I met at the station a few weeks ago; what position do the operators put HIM in when they cancel the train
Posted by gje at 05:21 AM
April 17, 2006
Celebrating a closure
Crich Tramway museum has some beautifully restored trams - I was up there on Saturday - but I had to say I think this paint job, authentic though it is, is in very poor taste The Last Tram in Sheffield .... and they CELEBRATED?
Of course, the irony is that there are now trams BACK in Sheffield.
Perhaps it hurt the more seeing that Melksham Station was closed 40 years ago today ... and then re-opened 21 years ago. I'm frankly fearful that our current battle against service cuts, if lost, will lead to a further cut of all the remaining services ....
Posted by gje at 10:19 PM
Meeting, Friday 21st
I know I said 19:30 ... but if you can get there as soon after 6 as possible that would be great - Andrew Murrison MP is able to pop in - but only for half an hour from 18:15 to 18:45 ... and (see my previous comments) he's one of the more likely MPs to be able to help West Wilts.
Good turnout - please ;-)
Posted by gje at 10:17 PM
April 12, 2006
Friday, 21st, Trowbridge
With the news that the government has thrown some million pounds at the Southampton to Westbury section of the service - arguably much more marginal than the Westbury to Swindon section, and somewhat illogical as it's just part of the route .... there remains a possibility that minds CAN be changed.
Can I ask as many people as possible to CONTACT THEIR POLITICIANS yet again - point out the success so far - Michael Ancram spoke for Bedwyn and WON, Chris Grayling spoke for Dean and Dunbridge and WON. And ask them to attend the meeting on 21st February that's being arranged by "save our trains" (not associated with savethetrain) and Transport 2000.
19:30, Bridge House, Stallard Street, Trowbridge, BA14 9AE
Friday, 21st April 2006
ALL welcome
Map
Major topics:
* Loss of capacity and service, Portsmouth, Southampton, Salisbury to Bath, Bristol Cardiff
* Loss of service Southampton and Salisbury to Chippenham and Swindon
* Severe service cuts from stations such as Melksham
Posted by gje at 05:29 AM
April 11, 2006
Southampton to Westbury RESTORED
On the 3rd April draft timetable, the Southampton to Westbury section of the service is restored - many thanks to Chris Grayling, who's the Conservative spokeman for transport and has a Hampshire consituency ... publicity at Dean and Dunbridge, and the department for Transport has contributed a million pounds for the service for the next 12 months, to then be reviewed as part of the South West trains franchise.
What a pity that the service restoration stops short of the section of the line that's most dramatically effected by the curring of the services.
What a pity that Southampton and Salisbuury still loose their service to Chippenham and Swindon.
What a pity that cuts remain from Melksham, where there are more ticket sales than at Dean and Dunbridge added together.
Posted by gje at 11:04 PM
April 07, 2006
Constituency Changes
The boundary commision has recommended that both Chippneham and Melksham be stripped out of their current consituencies and be included in a new seat, also to include Bradford on Avon. Perhaps this explains a lack of interest from the current MPs concerned, especially bearing in mind that both of them have consituencies with a far bigger electorate than most of their fellow MPs.
See here for more details
Posted by gje at 11:02 AM
April 04, 2006
First - transforming travel
Melksham to Swindon, lunchtime TOMORROW:
Melksham to Swindon, lunchtime a year from now ??
Posted by gje at 12:45 AM
April 03, 2006
An update - BAD, BAD news for Melksham ...
I spoke with Tim Bocock, a customer support manager at First group, on the phone this morning; they have announced improvements in many services but there was no mention of Melksham and I wanted to get the full story before I wrote.
Tim tells me:
a) The service will be as per the DRAFT TIMETABLE although services may vary from it by a FEW MINUTES.
b) The service is "not a commercial one that we can add to"
Posted by gje at 12:10 PM
UPDATE - new timetables
First have just published a revised set of timetable proposals
http://www.firstgreatwestern.co.uk/NewsItem.aspx?id=302 with lots of good news including the Southampton to Westbury service but I see no mention on the leg on via Melksham to Swindon.
Posted by gje at 11:14 AM
High emotion
On one hand, I feel a shock that First couldn't even wait until they had officially taken over to change the signs and paint out the Wessex name at the station ... and on the other hand I look forward to a future with, perhaps, slightly more optimism than I had a week or two back. Why's that? Because it seems that there might - just might - be a chink in the Department for Transport's view of some of the cuts based on the outcry at the draft timetables.
See South West Passenger Transport User's Forum which states:
We are not after all, holding a meeting on 4th April regarding the Greater Western Rail franchise. SWPTUF are now confident that the proposed rail cuts are beng re-visited by the Department for Transport, this as a result of much lobbying by ourselves and other stakeholders, although progress is very uncertain. We advise all to lobby hard and will keep passengers informed the best we can over the coming weeks.
It is not too late to voice your opinion on the proposed cuts, although the offical date for comments has now passed. You may want have a look at the Save our Train Service web site which links to many useful documents on the subject
I'm taking that with a pinch of salt since SWPTUF is partly sponsored by First, but never the less it may be some good news. And, yes, keep lobbying / asking questions / ...
Posted by gje at 05:02 AM