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Topic: 06:19 Swindon - Westbury (Read 3335 times)
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Graham Ellis
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I saw that this train was running this morning and popped down to Melksham Station to see how well it was loaded. All was quiet at the station, and for the first time that I can recall the gate to the platform was shut.  An empty car park.  And the train arrived - only a couple of minutes late - carrying fresh air. Just two passengers on board, with no-one leaving or joining at Melksham. I can't say I'm surprised - the conductor said that "to be honest, it's the first time I've run this service since the timetable change"; fair enough - no-one has run the service. I think it's only the first or second time it has run in 2 weeks. First - what HAVE you done? You've taken a train (ex 06:30 from Swindon) that had between 20 and 30 people on it when I last used it in September and lost over 90% of your passenger. And each one of the passengers lost is being caused hardship to some degree or another - from the inconveninece of another routing through to the expense of buying a car or the tragedy of having to give up their job. |
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Sion Bretton
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I got on the 7.17 this AM
1 off
2 on
13 already on the train.
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Chris Street
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This is completely shocking. To me that is a definite sign they want to close the station, and that they DON'T want people to use the service - so they can get these new loading figures and show them off to the DfT so they will decide 'O look, no-one is using this station anymore. Stop all services through there and close the station.'
Why is it easier for the Dft to underwrite a station closure and make things worse than lease stock and make things better? None of the pieces fit together.
Closing the gate with a train due to be calling at the station is just unacceptable in my view. Also if anyone really wanted to get in, the fence doesn't look that high..
Regarding the 0717, could people actually get in and out of the station by this time because of the gate? Or was it opened by then?
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Lee
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Why is it easier for the Dft to underwrite a station closure and make things worse than lease stock and make things better? None of the pieces fit together. Because its cheaper. Christian Wolmar "Axe To Fall On Rail Network" article (link below.) http://www.christianwolmar.co.uk/articles/independent/jan29,06.shtml"Ministers are preparing ways of closing or "mothballing" large sections of the railway network, according to an official document which was slipped out without publicity last week." "Dozens of branch lines and secondary routes could shut, in what would be the biggest rethink of the network since the Beeching report in the 1960s, which led to the closure of 4,000 miles of railway and nearly half the nation's stations. Loss-making services would be transferred on to buses, as a means of reducing the £6bn-a-year subsidy." "Roger Ford, technical editor of Modern Railways, said cutting branch lines might not be enough. "If they want to save serious money they would have to cut many regional services and possibly whole swaths of lines." "The crunch will come early next year when ministers will set out a list of lines the Government is no longer prepared to subsidise, which will be accompanied by a "statement of funds available". This will mean the Government will have to decide precisely where and when the cuts will take place." The article was published on January 29 2006. |
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Sion Bretton
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I go to off the 19.08 today 19/1/07 3 off nill on 13 left on the train. And the 19.50 is cancelled  Have we had a 100% train service since the new timetable? |
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Graham Ellis
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Have we had a 100% train service since the new timetable?
I've looked back to 18th December. As far as I can see, the only days that the 06:44, 07:17, 19:08 and 19:50 have all run are the 2nd and 3rd January, with a maximum delay on those days of 19 minutes. |
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Graz
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That's just sad  it's no wonder people have lost trust in the trains and have deserted Melksham station in droves. I'm pretty confident, however, that should a decent train service be implemented again this trust will be regained. |
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Graham Ellis
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I'm pretty confident, however, that should a decent train service be implemented again this trust will be regained.
Yes, indeed - the up then down of the service has amply illustrated the linkage. We need: a) A return to a reliable service, promised from this Monday (if you believe Alison Forster's advert in the Bath paper) or the end of the month (an "at the latest" date given to me by Andrew Griffiths") b) A strong, local advertising campaign for the service once it IS reliable again. I would think that First should pay for this campaign as a gesture of goodwill and faith after all the heartache caused. c) Further Improvements to the service as soon as practical. d) An regular service from May (ideal) or Decmeber (if we MUST wait that long!) that runs every 2 hours and not every 12. And at the right time in the 2 hours too - 05:45 and 2 hourly off Westbury until lunchtime then 14:45 and two hourly to 20:45. And I would throw my full support and help behind the provision along those lines and the marketing to make it a success. I would even support (and I need to be careful here) a 20% above inflation fare rise next January for LOCAL fares - i.e. those that are priced at around the 20p per mile rate at present; that would go a long way towards helping answer the question "and how are we going to pay for this?" |
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