The Transport Minister , Derek Twigg , has confirmed that the South Western Franchise service between Salisbury and Romsey via Southampton Central and Southampton Airport Parkway will call at Dean & Dunbridge (link below.)
http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm200506/cmhansrd/cm060629/text/60629w1305.htm

Here is a link to First's April 3 Statement.
http://www.firstgreatwestern.co.uk/NewsItem.aspx?id=302

"A shuttle service will be introduced between Westbury and Southampton, including calls at Dean and Dunbridge. This will operate until December 2007, when service levels will be reviewed in the light of subject to the new South West Trains franchise."

Here is a link to the South Western Stakeholder Briefing (Specification Features.)
http://www.dft.gov.uk/stellent/groups/dft_railways/documents/page/dft_railways_611460-05.hcsp#P100_10021

Quote from the above link :

"The Romsey-Totton service was introduced as part of a Rail Passenger Partnership funded scheme in 2003, and connected Chandlers Ford (between Romsey and Eastleigh) to the national passenger network. The consultation document proposed scaling the service back to operate as a shuttle between Romsey and Eastleigh. Further work has been undertaken since consultation, and concludes a service Romsey-Eastleigh-Southampton-Salisbury offers best value for money."

Here is a link to the South Western Stakeholder Briefing Annex A (Stakeholder consultation on South Western franchise replacement.)
http://www.dft.gov.uk/stellent/groups/dft_railways/documents/page/dft_railways_611460-08.hcsp#P173_20630

Quote from the above link (Romsey-Southampton-Totton services.) :

"The principal concerns raised by respondents were as follows;

The majority of passengers using the service from Chandlers Ford travel to Southampton Central or Southampton Airport Parkway therefore an enforced interchange at Eastleigh will discourage passengers,

The proposal will lead to an increase in car journeys,

Continued growth at Southampton Airport will see the need for more rail journeys by both locally based employees of the airport and air passengers,

The proposal is in opposition to Government policy to reduce car travel and increase public transport use,

The service is popular, has seen consistent growth since introduction and will grow further as more development is planned in the Chandlers Ford area,

Concerns were expressed that the Romsey-Totton service is the only daytime service that calls at Swathling and St Denis,

If the current service is uneconomic then more appropriate and cheaper rolling stock should be deployed to operate the service rather than expensive Class 170s."

All well and good until you reach the final item on the above list.

The question that I would ask is where is this "more appropriate and cheaper rolling stock" going to come from?

Lets take Ivybridge as an example , as the DfT have agreed to fund an extra unit to run between Newton Abbot - Plymouth calling there , just as the DfT agreed to fund the Southampton - Westbury shuttle.

Ivybridge was to have had its service reduced from 24 services per weekday to 10. It is now to have its service reduced to 18 services per weekday. The 8 "extra" services recieved by Ivybridge are to be provided by the Newton Abbot - Plymouth shuttle.

4 of the 18 services in the proposed Ivybridge timetable are run by SWT. These are due to be withdrawn as part of the South Western Franchise base specification. This will leave Ivybridge with 14 services per weekday.

If the Newton Abbot - Plymouth shuttle is withdrawn at the same time as the Southampton - Westbury shuttle (I would stress at this point that I do not know for certain whether this is going to happen) then Ivybridge will be left with just 6 services per weekday.

Here is a link to the Ivybridge Rail Users Group website.
http://www.irug.ik.com/

Here is a link to a recent Parliamentary Written Question.
http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm200506/cmhansrd/cm060627/text/60627w1231.htm#column_264W

Mr. Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what recent research he has (a) commissioned and (b) evaluated on the current operational performance of South West Trains; and how many complaints he has received from rail users’ groups in Hampshire about failures to operate timetabled services; and if he will make a statement. [78369]

Derek Twigg: The South Western franchise replacement process included a “base-lining” exercise undertaken in 2005, in which performance for South West Trains was reviewed. This showed that operational performance had increased significantly since the December 2004 timetable change under the Public Performance Measure (PPM) which records the percentage of trains arriving within five minutes of their planned destination arrival time. The moving annual average of the PPM statistic rose from 75 per cent. in July 2004 to 87 per cent. by September 2005, and currently stands at 90 per cent.

The Department for Transport has recently received an extensive report from the South Hampshire Rail Users Group setting out a range of complaints associated with the current South West Trains franchise. A response will be made shortly to this specific letter.

Appendix 2.2 of the South West Main Line Route Utilisation Strategy covers this issue (link below.) Interestingly , both Dean & Millbrook (to be served by the new Romsey-Eastleigh-Southampton-Salisbury service) are mentioned.
http://www.networkrail.co.uk/browse%20documents/rus%20documents/route%20utilisation%20strategies/south%20west%20main%20line/appendices/appendix%202.2.pdf

Here is a link to other areas of interest regarding Appendix 2.2 of the South West Main Line Route Utilisation Strategy.
http://www.savethetrain.org.uk/forum/index.php?topic=264.msg697#msg697

Here is a link to Appendix 2 of the original Beeching Report.
http://www.piccadillypilot.co.uk/beeching/report1/15%20Appendix%202.pdf

Quotes from page 2 of the above link :

"In most cases there will eventually be no passenger service of any description over the lines affected. In others, fast and semi-fast services using the same routes will continue to run. In still other cases it is intended to modify the pattern of services, both stopping and fast, in ways which will reduce the train mileage and cut out the more uneconomic portions of services and under-utilised stations."

"These proposals do not include all the stopping passenger services now running. Reshaping and streamlining the pattern of these services must be a continuing process. As this proceeds other services and stations will be added to the withdrawal and modification lists until a point is reached when what remains can be said to be viable."

Even though I believe that the Transport Minister's view is incorrect , and in my view , Graham has proved that the Transport Minister's view is incorrect , Derek Twigg is effectively saying that the service through Melksham is uneconomic , under-utilised and by implication unviable in his letter. (link below.)
http://www.savethetrain.org.uk/melkshamrailway/145_Letter_from_Derek_Twigg.html

In my opinion , given the vast amount of evidence to the contrary , questions must be asked as to why he takes this view.

The Newton Abbot - Plymouth shuttle service is being introduced from Dec 2006 owing to a long and hard battle by the Ivybridge Rail User's Group, Local and District Councils and the Local MP. This shuttle provides Ivybridge with 8 more services than those originally planned. We believe one of the reasons for a change in the DfT's plans was the rise in passenger numbers at Ivybridge (23,000 to 50,000 over the last 3 years). However this increase has also happened at Melksham (3,000 to 27,000 in 5 years).
Ivybridge is a Town of around 13,000 inhabitants and had a station which closed in 1959. The present station, built about half of a mile east of the old station in 1994 has a large car park (200 spaces) but the station is not in a convenient position for those that live west of the Town where the higher population is. The commuters in this area find it more convenient to take a bus or drive straight onto the main A38 trunk road directly into Plymouth. The main usage of the staion is for Plymouth commuters, schoolchildren and University and College students living to the east of Ivybridge.
Ivybridge still has battles to fight when  SWT withdraws its services west of Exeter in 2007.  Ivybridge could then lose 4 valuable services.
We all need to keep the pressure on the Government to invest in its rail services even if that means some subsidies. 

Its funny you should mention that , Graham , because my local MP asked a Parliamentary Written Question related to this yesterday.
http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm200506/cmordbk1/60705w01.htm

Sarah McCarthy-Fry (Portsmouth North):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what plans he has to encourage the use of public transport by bus.

Here is a link to Appendix 10.2 of the South West Main Line Route Utilisation Strategy.
http://www.networkrail.co.uk/browse%20documents/rus%20documents/route%20utilisation%20strategies/south%20west%20main%20line/appendices/appendix%2010.2.pdf

Quotes from the above link :

"Benefits elsewhere in the appraisal compensated for disbenefits between Romsey and Southampton, where the extended journey time from having to travel via Eastleigh had the same effect as a service frequency reduction. An alternative has now been developed that would see the service operate from Salisbury via Romsey and Redbridge to Southampton, then continuing via Eastleigh back to Romsey; and vice versa. This maximises the journey opportunities and benefits whilst preserving the estimated performance improvements. Terminating trains would be retained at Romsey, as now, but removed from Southampton and Totton. However, this does not address concerns over the quantum increase between Romsey and Salisbury, which could be exacerbated by trains continuing to terminate at Romsey as well as the new terminators at Salisbury. These proposed changes will have to be planned around freight services on the line, and balanced against the identified need for freight growth. Hence, the revised proposal cannot be recommended without further work."

In other words Network Rail were not convinced.

"The analysis has revealed clear potential to achieve significant benefits at relatively low cost by restructuring passenger services in an area where services had developed in an uncoordinated way. New links across Southampton, including improving access to the airport, are beneficial.Further iteration of the proposals is needed to ensure that the possible disbenefits are eliminated, or are quantified and consciously balanced against the benefits. These proposals are being considered by the Department for Transport, and are likely to be taken forward through the refranchising process."

Network Rail considered "extending the hourly Totton – Eastleigh – Romsey service through to Salisbury, curtailing the Southampton – Salisbury – Bristol or Swindon local service at Salisbury to become a Salisbury – Westbury – Swindon or Bristol service" but concluded that "The capacity effect of this slight increase in service frequency, for instance on freight growth, would have to be carefully assessed before a recommendation could be made."

Of course , we know what actually happened (links below.)
http://www.savethetrain.org.uk/melkshamrailway/138_Lies_damned_lies_and_statistics.html
http://www.savethetrain.org.uk/melkshamrailway/145_Letter_from_Derek_Twigg.html
http://www.savethetrain.org.uk/forum/index.php?topic=337.msg968#msg968

Here is a link to a recent speech by Derek Twigg , the Transport Minister.
http://www.aslef.org.uk/C2B/PressOffice/display.asp?ID=420&Type=2

"In addition, we need to assess the role of passengers and how their interests will develop – and we need to balance their interests with those of freight."

However , this did not stop the DfT including the service between Salisbury and Romsey via Southampton Central and Southampton Airport Parkway in the base case specification for the South Western Franchise (link below.)
http://www.dft.gov.uk/stellent/groups/dft_railways/documents/page/dft_railways_611460-05.hcsp#P100_10021

Here is a further link on Derek Twigg's speech to ASLEF.
http://www.savethetrain.org.uk/forum/index.php?topic=265.msg702#msg702

Here is one of the answers (link below.)
http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm200506/cmhansrd/cm061019/text/61019w0002.htm#column_1340W

Mr. Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what recent discussions he has had with the South Hampshire Rail Users Group; and if he will make a statement.

Mr. Tom Harris: Ministers have had no such discussions, although there has been correspondence between the group and departmental officials.

Mr. Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what criteria were used to determine the outcome of the South West trains franchise; and what the cost difference is between the new and old contracts.

Mr. Tom Harris: The process used to evaluatebids was the European Foundation for Quality Management (EFQM) evaluation model applicable to suppliers to the public sector. This approach utilised a scoring methodology assessing the bidder's approach, deployment, assessment and review, results/evidence (RADAR) to the contribution of 22 operational criteria to the achievement of the three principal delivery plans of performance, revenues and costs.

The current franchise subsidy committed for the last year of the franchise (which expires in February 2007) is £120 million. The new franchise will provide, over its 10 year term, a net premium of £1,191 million.

Mr. Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport pursuant to the answer of 19 October 2006, Official Report, column 1340W, on railways, what the outcomes have been of correspondence between officials in his Department and the South Hampshire Rail Users’ Group.

Mr. Tom Harris: Letters have been sent to the South Hampshire Rail Users Group in May and October by officials in the Department who have noted the material provided, and explained the franchise replacement process for South Western. They covered the franchise objectives, the development of the specification, the timescales for bid evaluation and award of the new franchise, and the key outputs of the winning bidder. The day-to-day operation of the franchise is a matter for Stagecoach, and South Hampshire Rail Users Group should take up such issues with them.