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November 18, 2007
Cancellations, Changes and Crass Christmas
* Two trains cancelled on 9th, one on 13th, and I wonder if we'll see some trains not running again this week.
* The new timetable - publicly - looks nearly standstill, with one slight improivement that we must hale as a step forward at least - the return of a single southbound train on Sunday. The morning train (06:42) going on through to Southampton, and the evening one coming up from there (18:27) is to be applauded too, but half a cheer rather than three cheers as there would be if we had three more round trips
* Away from the published timetable, things don't look good. For saying as there's a Sunday improvement on paper, it's more than taken away by bustitutions for the initial weekends - the new train runs on the very first day of the new timetable from Chippenham only. Then is a bus ....
* Bewteen Christmas and the new year wesee the trains turning around at Chippenham (nice to see it can be done) with a wait of FIFTY FIVE MINUTES for anyone who changes from Swindon. We asked for a 17:30 departure from Swindon; well - we have it. But then it's still not into Melksham until after a quarter past seven. Is someone taking the piss, or what?
* I have three delegates coming up from Salisbury to Melksham for 4 days this week - that's 24 single journeys - and I don't expect that even one single journey will be made by rail. And I have two other vivitord on Wednesday. Last year, they wopuldl have arrived on the lunchtime train but one has already said"bus" and the other "car". What a far cry from the reasonable through service that Wessex trains provided.
Posted by gje at November 18, 2007 07:25 PM
Comments
I see for the new winter timetable from 10 Dec 07, the 18:31 weekday service from Swindon doesn't get into Melksham until 19:47 (76 minutes later) with changes at Bath Spa and Trowbridge! This is useless for someone commuting from London each day. It looks as though I'll have to get the 234 bus from Chippenham to Melksham then (more expense)!
Robert
Posted by: Robert Dickenson at November 26, 2007 11:35 AM