From Anne Lock is well known for all the work she has done in campaigning for the station at Corsham to be re-opened. I reproduce this letter here with her permission

Dear Peter  and  All,

DEADLINE FOR GREATER WESTERN FRANCHISE - 24TH APRIL 2006

I feel sure you will all have noticed on reading the Greater Western Franchise Report that many County Councils have made representations to Government and had proposed cuts to rail services reinstated.  

David Redgewell is adamant that when Michael Ancram went to see the Secretary of State he made no representations on behalf of the Swindon/Melksham service.   David maintains he checked this particularly with Alistair Darling who stated that the Melksham service was not brought to his attention.   The Westbury to Southampton bit has been reinstated (pressure from Hampshire) and David is anxious that as many as possible write to their local MPs,  urgently requesting that they lobby the Secretary of State hard on this matter.   He maintains that Government is listening and the GW Report would seem to corroborate this.   My own feeling is that the levels and spread (timewise) of road congestion across the Greater Bristol region is not well understood by the MPs - leave alone the Secretary of State - which points to the need for this service to be improved, not slashed.

The MPs he mentioned to whom we should write were Michael Ancram (Devizes), James Gray (North Wilts) Anne Snelgrove (Swindon), Andrew Murrison (Westbury).

Obviously if the Town Council can be persuaded to write also - plus your Community Group - the WI - the George Ward school kids ………    All to send a copy of their letters to the County Council of course!

He also mentioned that at Totnes, where cuts were also threatened, the local group had organised a public meeting.   Ideas therefore for demonstrations of support - perhaps as large a group as possible presenting copies of the passenger figures showing the annual percentage rise in passenger numbers - and projected figures were the service to be improved, promoted and therefore more user friendly and frequent

David feels Peter Dawson (GOSW) has done us no favours over the franchise period - certainly his insistance at the Structure Plan Inquiry that the bus would solve all the Greater  Bristol areas transport problems was unrealistic, as the Inspector agreed!   Julian Crowe (First GW) would be supportive of local rail improvements but we have to remember that First's franchise requirement is to deliver on the services laid down by DfT. 

We only have a few days to make progress with our MPs on this as the Franchise will be signed off by Alistair Darling on the 24th of this month.  

I shall be requesting the return of RPP funding for Corsham!!

Get writing today - time is short!

Best wishes,      Anne

Note - later feedback from Anne tells me that the deadline is now 28th April

DfT - Michael Ancram did not raise Melksham service. No record of Redgewell / Darling discussions during this period.