Tell us more - what were the questions, what did you say?

This is one of the aspects of the Melksham issue that concerns me most. It looks to me like First were conducting a usage survey.

Journey Statistics Link.
http://www.savethetrain.org.uk/forum/index.php?topic=233.msg589#msg589

5% from and to Chippenham.

Here is Map 3 of the original Beeching Report.
http://www.piccadillypilot.co.uk/beeching/report1/maps/Map03.htm

Dean , Dilton Marsh & Dunbridge all appear as red dots (£0 - £5000 per annum) yet none of them appeared on the closure list. They have survived to this day.

Despite this , as Graham and others are aware , I am just as concerned about the future viability of the stations above as I am about Melksham.

Melksham appears as a blue dot (£5000 - £25000 per annum) yet it both appeared on the closure list and was indeed closed.

However , the most facinating line in the Southampton - Swindon area that was closed in the Beeching era was Chippenham - Calne.

Calne appears on Map 3 as a green dot (over £25000 per annum)

Have a look at the link below. Pages 2 & 3 show how Beeching assessed passenger train services. Interestingly , just as the DfT do today , Beeching used the average passenger per train method as part of the assessment process.
http://www.piccadillypilot.co.uk/beeching/report1/15%20Appendix%202.pdf

The information below comes from Page 4 of the link above.

The Chippenham - Calne line contributed a massive £56900 per annum to the revenue of other services (the highest on the list) yet Beeching concluded that only £5700 of this would be lost if the line closed.

This is because he was certain that the Calne line passengers would use the bus or other forms of transport to connect with trains at Chippenham instead.

Here is a link to the North East Regional Planning Assessment.
http://www.dft.gov.uk/stellent/groups/dft_railways/documents/page/dft_railways_611452.pdf

Page 41.

"It is a feature of the North East that a significant number of people will drive some
distance to join an express service on the East Coast Main Line, even where they
have a local station in their own area, this practice is called ‘rail heading’. Railheading
refers to driving further than necessary to reach a rail station in order to reach a more
convenient service."

Its a feature of Melksham passengers , for example , driving to Chippenham & elsewhere as well , especially if the service isnt as reliable as it could be. It will become more so if the proposed service cuts go through.

What happened to Calne (service suddenly slashed) was repeated at many other locations. This is exactly the danger that I believe Melksham faces now.

People are already being encouraged to "railhead" because of the significant amount of cancelled trains in recent times. The link below contains a good example.
http://www.savethetrain.org.uk/update/archives/2006/04/meeting_tonight.html

This , along with bus replacement , is exactly what Beeching envisaged happening to the Calne line.

As Graham says , the Melksham line was not closed , but the stations along it were.

The Melksham line is projected to achieve medium - level tonnage growth to 2015. This is shown on Page 8 , Figure 10 of the link below.
http://www.networkrail.co.uk/documents/3103_Route%204%20Wessex%20Routes.pdf

I cant see that being achieved on the passenger side on two round trips a day.

Here is an interesting link that refers to Bedworth station and the Coventry - Nuneaton line / service.
http://journals.aol.co.uk/hstnuneaton/railroundup/entries/346

Quotes from the above link.

"In 1850, the Coventry - Nuneaton line was opened, originally for freight owing to the large amount of coal reserves but eventually, passenger services began operating, with stations at Chilvers Coton, Bedworth, Longford, Foleshill, Daimler Halt and Coundon Road."

"In 1963, the then chairman of the newly-founded BR, Doctor Richard Beeching produced his report on the future of Britains Railways. Innocuously titled "The Reshaping of Britain's Railways", the report still remains one of the most controversial documents ever produced on a British industry. Tasked by the government to reduce the ever increasing losses suffered by the railway, Beeching took a root-and-branch analysis of every rail line which was still operational at the time. The end result was the "axe" -  the decision to close vast swathes of the railway network. This report affected Nuneaton in a big way, stations at Nuneaton Abbey Street and Stockingford closed in 1964 and all Leicester - Birmingham services were routed via the Trent Valley Station. The next blow came on 18 January 1965, when the Coventry - Nuneaton line closed to passengers."

"On a happier note, the Coventry - Nuneaton line reopened to passengers in 1988, and Bedworth Station was reconstructed as a shortened platform to accomodate a 2-car Diesel Unit. In 2005 though, a single car Class 153 is more common on this shuttle."

"Nuneaton Station has remained largely unchanged, although in 2004, Nuneaton seen major remodelling work finished whereby 2 new platforms were opened, designated Platform 6&7, which are specifically for Leicester - Birmingham trains, which enable them to use the reinstated flyover from the "Nuneaton avoiding line" and thus eliminating the need for trains to cross the main on the level and holding up the faster Anglo-Scottish and London - North West expresses operated by Virgin Trains. This did come at a price -  the popular Coventry - Nottingham service was cut back to form a basic Coventry - Nuneaton shuttle. However, due to driver training on the newer Class 350 Desiro units, the Coventry - Nueaton shuttle was replaced with a bus from 11 June 2004 until 13 June 2005. Unit number, 153365 ran the first Coventry -Nuneaton service on Monday 13 June 2005 (see picture 1). It is satisfying to note however, that this shuttle service is well patronised, being cheaper and indeed faster then the usual bus services provided by Stagecoach."

Here are some other facts about Bedworth station and the Coventry - Nuneaton Line.

1) Bedworth appears as a blue dot on Map 3 of the original Beeching Report (£5000 - £25000 per annum) yet it both appeared on the closure list and was indeed closed.

2) The Coventry - Nuneaton line is projected to achieve high - level tonnage growth to 2015. (Page 10 , figure 9 of the link below.)
http://www.networkrail.co.uk/documents/3115_Route%2017%20West%20Midlands.pdf