I'm taking a deep breath / avoiding a kneejerk reaction and thinking it through. You will notice that I've changed the main picture at the top of the home page to a picture of a train at Melksham "tearing" across to a disused trackbed.
I'm attending the Melksham Railway Development Group meering tonight; I'm specifically NOT a member so that I can talk here (and elsewhere) out of turn and without consulting if I wish, but in fact they do a lot of good background work and very much share my aims - so I'll see what comes from that. As a guest, I'll say little unless spoken to but I will be listening.
First's stakeholder meeting to meet the new parties / organisations that will be using their services is on Monday in Bristol, and I'm told that one of the subjects that will be raised is the Melksham service. However, all places are already spoke for so they can't extend an invite to me and they haven't offered an alternative. Realistically, our business customers will not be able to make use of the new service unless the two-per-day run as out-and-back trips from Westbury (in which case the vital train to me is safe) so will mostly be driving all the way ... therefore I won't be a stakeholder / interested party. What a dreadful logic!
I'll follow up further over the weekend. I do know at least one person going on Monday, so I can ask him/her to let me know what happens. Possible strategies beyond?
a) Fight for proper service
b) Campaign to get the best of the two trains
c) Look to get decent bus connections in Chippenham at least (NOT across the town)
d) Give up
e) Move
[For anyone reading this who doesn't know me, there are smiley faces on the last two options which indicate that they're really written in jest]
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