Copy of an open letter I have sent ... please write YOURSELF too.   I have also written to my MP, to Richard Bayly at the Government Offices South West, and a couple of others.  My understanding is that these are the political decision makers involved and we sould make our case to them.. Further information here

Dear Mr Alexander,

I read with interest Mr Blair's letter of 10th May to you setting out the major strategy for the future, and looking to an efficient and reliable system for a growing travel market, without a huge growth in investment, yet with a view to the long-term goal of reducing carbon admissions too.

The SOUTHAMPTON to SWINDON train service is a success story of recent years.  It provides the only easy public transport links between the city of Southampton and the large industrial and commercial centre of Swindon, serving Salisbury, Warminster, Trowbridge (the county town of Wiltshire) and Chippenham along the way.

CURRENT SITUATION

Traffic growth has been spectacular - the Office of the Rail Regulator has quoted me figures growing from 3,000 to 27,000 ticket sales per annum at Melksham station (the only station served exclusively by this line) in the most recent five years from, and the Severn-Solent Regioanal Manager for First Group who took over the line in April congratulated us on the dramatic traffic growth which, all things being equal, I would expect to continue.  Chippenham, Melksham and Trowbridge are amongst the fastest growing towns in the country, and the road that parallels this section of the line is over queueing nose to tail.

But there's dreadful news - the Swindon to Southampton service is to be WITHDRAWN from December, with just two trains a day provided in the very early morning and in the early evening - long before and after regular commuter peak times - on the northern section of the line.  With this amended service, 10 trains a day that now regularly carry 30 or 40 passengers each will be replaced by four trains that WILL carry the fresh air that your predecessor talked about.  No-one that I know wants to leave Swindon at a quarter past six in the morning, or have to wait for the other train at half past six at night.

The Southern end of the service HAS just been "bought back" I understand - there will be a service from Southampton to Westbury from December, and that will be transferred to the operator of the South West Trains franchise in a year. 

REQUEST FOR ACTION

I applaud the buyback, but I consider it illogical to stop the service at Westbury; by continuing the service up to Swindon, you would be providing the continued longer distance service from Salisbury to Swindon, from Chippenham to Southampton, etc.  You would be continuing to provide a service that's more and more used every year in the West Wiltshire corridor, and you would be providing substantive environmental friendly relief to the choked A350 trunk road which cannot cope at present, let alone how it will be with 500 new house being built here every year!

On 25th April, all four MPs who represent the constituencies with stations on the still-threatened line - Anne Snelgrove (Lab, Swindon), James Gray (Con, North Wilts), Michael Ancram (Con, Devizes) and Andrew Murrison (Con, Westbury) spoke at a debate in Westminster to express their horror at the plans and their support to retain the service.  It's great to see this unanymous cross party support.   We were all disappointed to read no specific response to the points raised, and hope that they have been taken for consideration and later answer.

However - TIME IS RUNNING OUT. As a matter or urgency, would you please ask for the bought-back service to be continued to Swindon, which I understand would require a single extra carriage.  Running every two hours, traffic would continue to grow and to alleviate severe road problems.  We would be very happy indeed to see the whole service transferred to the winner of the South West Trains franchise too - be that Stagecoach or one of their competitors.

Mr Alexander, this can be a quick "win, win" decision for you. The growing users of the train service get an appropriate service level, and service will end up costing LESS that it would to run near-empty trains.  The environment gains, and the MPs in marginal constituencies such as in Swindon and Southampton gain with an issue being well-solved with their help.

I am copying this email to several of the people previously involved before you came to the Department for Transport so that they can advise you directly. I think it's fair to say that the Southampton to Swindon service is a small fish in the whole Greater Western area, and that everyone involved with the new arrangements in the area has been rushed off there feet with issues from St Ives to Gatwick.  With much of the next now settling, it would be an excellent time to tidy up the Swindon - Westbury - Southampton matter.

If you require further information, please email me, or call me.  Thers's also a great deal of further information and feedback on my website at
        http://www.savethetrain.org.uk
and more specific information at
        http://www.savethetrain.org.uk/tt06.html

I look forward to your positive response.

Yours sincerely,

Graham Ellis