Some good news from Ivybridge, where they've also been fighting cuts ...

"Some good news for a change. We have now been officially informed by Julian Crow that the DfT have agreed to fund an extra Unit to run between Newton Abbot or Totnes through to Plymouth stopping at Ivybridge. I am not sure whether this Unit would continue on to Liskeard and supply Saltash & St.Germans with extra services.. We have not yet been told how many extra services this will mean for Ivybridge but as a shuttle service I would imagine at least 4 extra services."

Congratulations to everyone who's been campaigning hard for the Ivybridge case.   I hope the detail is as good as the headlines for you.

Ivybridge is a town of about half the size of Melksham, and train ticket sales for journeys to and from the towns are roughly on a par.  With 10 trains a day each way (which is what I estimate Ivybridge will have), they'll have an average of 1500 people joining or leaving each service per annum.

With the current five services each way a day in Melksham, we already have an average of 2700 people leaving or joining each train, and with an increase to eight trains a day which remains the most economic case, our figure of 1700 people per train would still be a significantly higher loading that Ivybridge

I have very carefully avoided such comarisions in the past, as I had no desire to drag other services down in the way we're being dragged down.   However, it the light of the official news from Julian Crow yesterday, I have emailed Andrew Griffiths who now looks after our line in a similar capacity and asked whether he has any similar news for us.