There are some VERY interesting questions today for the Secretary of State for Transport (link below.)
http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm200506/cmordbk1/60703w01.htm

There are several questions that will be of interest to Melksham passengers , but one in particular stands out.

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Chris Grayling (Epsom & Ewell):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps he has taken to safeguard transport corridors through land controlled by the British Railways Board.

I noticed:

"Chris Grayling (Epsom & Ewell):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what representations he has received from passenger train operating companies regarding fare increases on recently awarded franchises."

Probably relates to some of the stories I've been seeing about St. Albans to London (oh - that's the other one that First won at the same time as the Great Western) where fares have been hiked WITH DfT APPROVAL.

Note ... the bus fare from Devizes to the Bowerhill area of Melksham, one of the main employment areas of the town, rose recently by - I am told - around 150%.   I'm looking to get hold of some figures to confirm this rise.

I note "transport" rather than "rail". So the money paid by First to buy the rights to operate the train services in the South West is getting back as grants and subsidys for bus services in the region such as the Bristol Showcase routes that have just been awarded 42 million pounds. (links).

I really don't mind a successful and profitable public transport service helping to provide seed money for another public transport service that needs investment to get it going, and indeed to provide an element of ongoing subsidy to feeder services that help in the whole integrated system, or services that provide vital public transport opportunities but which are unprofitable due to their geography / logistics. 

Where I do object, and strongly, to this policy is where money is taken from a successful service in terms of feeder provision, effect on the local economy, social and commuter use, but which is economically unable to withstand the bleeding. Such are many of the smaller railway lines in the Great Western area.  The net effect is that a perfectly good and useful service that has, frankly, minimal financial effect either way on the bottom line is going to be bled to death. And what then?   Rail closure = more road traffic.  Rail closure = economic depression of communities served. More road traffic = need for more investment in roads. Economic dpression = need for more financial support for area.  Wouldn't it have been far better to leave the successful / break even service alone?

Some more interesting questions today (link below.)
http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm200506/cmordbk1/60713w01.htm

Chris Grayling (Epsom & Ewell):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what the average age is of buses in service in each region.

Chris Grayling (Epsom & Ewell):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what the average age is of the rail rolling stock operated by each train operating company.

Chris Grayling (Epsom & Ewell):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, which routes (a) are and (b) are expected by 2014 to be carrying trains which are loaded with passengers to a level that is in excess of capacity.

Chris Grayling (Epsom & Ewell):To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what estimate he has made of the potential total saving from the Government's decision to specify a reduction in the number of services on some lines and to some stations in the First Great Western franchise area as part of the franchise renewal process.

I've seen those profiles.  Is Mr Twigg claiming that the difference between payments to First + National Express in the past, and payments by First in the future is the saving being made by reducing services?  If so, that doesn't make sense; the profile changes dramatically through the 10 years so cannot be compared to history on an even playing field ... and in any case we know First bid much more than they had too, thus putting the height of the hurdle that service have to jump higher.   And if that's not what Mr Twigg is saying, he hasn't answered the question.

I recall listening to an interview with Edward Heath many years after he had retired from politics.  He answered 8 questions in succession with simply "yes" or "no".   It made his interviewed quite uncomfortable, but it was refreshing.   Why can't Mr Twigg be a bit like that.   An answer such as "We estimate that we're saving around half a million pounds per year on average for the ten year life of the franchise" would be much more what I would like to read (and I suspect that my figure is quite accurate too  )

My half million estimate is for ALL services cut back. For Swindon to Westbury alone, I believe the truthful answer would be "we estimate it will cost us around 120,000 pounds per annum MORE to subsidise the reduced service that to maintain the current one.  However, we have decided to withdraw the majority of passenger services from this line to make paths available for freight train movements from Southampton to the Midlands, Merseyside, and other locations"

Here are some highlights from todays Answers list (links below.)
http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm200506/cmhansrd/cm060724/text/60724w1872.htm#column_737W

Mr. Brazier: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what studies he has undertaken on the likely impact of Crossrail on the Heathrow Express.

Derek Twigg [holding answer 18 July 2006]: The report of the Crossrail Timetable Working Group, published on 22 June 2006, considers the impact of Crossrail services on existing rail services and future services allowing for growth, including Heathrow Express. A copy of the report can be found on my Department’s website:
http://www.dft.gov.uk/stellent/groups/dft_railways/documents/page/dft_railways_611918.pdf

http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm200506/cmhansrd/cm060724/text/60724w1873.htm

Mr. Clappison: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when he was first informed of the plans of First Capital Connect to prevent use of cheap day return tickets on former Thameslink services serving Hertfordshire; what representations he made to First Capital Connect about these plans; and whether he took these plans into account in his decision to award the relevant franchise to First Capital Connect.

Derek Twigg: The First Capital Connect bid included a proposal to restrict the use of day return fares during the evening peak on certain routes. Day returns are fares that are not regulated and it is for operators to decide whether to offer them, at what price and with what restrictions.

All proposals in franchise bids are assessed in their deliverability and their compatibility with current fares policy.

Rosie Cooper: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how much funding the Government are providing to West Lancashire district council to provide free bus travel for (a) older and (b) disabled persons; and whether it plans to use all of this funding to provide free travel.

Gillian Merron: The funding for concessionary fares is provided through revenue support grant which is unhypothecated; therefore the funding for concessionary fares is not separately identified. It is for local authorities to deicide on their overall funding priorities based on their judgment of local need and circumstances.

Pensioners and disabled people in England have had an entitlement to free off-peak local bus travel, from April 2006, which will be extended in April 2008 to free off-peak bus travel across the country.

Gregory Barker: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what percentage of cars owned by the Government Car and Despatch Agency come with air conditioning as standard.

Dr. Ladyman: 99.04 per cent. of the Government Car and Despatch Agency’s car fleet has air conditioning as standard.

Mr. Leech: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when he intends to publish the Government's guidance on light rail procurement.

Derek Twigg: We hope to publish guidance on light rail later this year.

Jeremy Corbyn: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport which railway lines in England and Wales are under consideration for reopening; and what his policy is on the reopening of railway lines.

Derek Twigg: In July next year we will publish our High Level Output Specification. This will set out the railway outputs the Government wish to buy in terms of capacity, safety and reliability and the funding to support this for the next five years. It is for the industry to determine what inputs are needed to deliver this.

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what solutions he has identified to overcrowding on the railways.

Derek Twigg: We are currently seeing huge growth in the railways, with more than a billion passengers carried last year, and this is set to continue. To help meet this challenge we are investing record amounts in the network.

Work is being undertaken to improve timetabling, infrastructure maintenance and renewals and other factors that can impact on reliable delivery of train services, which in turn will impact on crowding levels. We are also considering different measures to increase the capacity of the network, from train layout and length, turnaround times and infrastructure improvements. Major investment programmes such as the west coast main line modernisation project have already seen capacity improvements.

It is for the train operating companies to take decisions about the deployment of rolling stock. We will continue to review train counts and train plans to assess whether resources are being deployed effectively.

Anne Main: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will make a statement on the progress of the Thameslink 2000 project.

Dr. Ladyman: The Department for Transport and the Department for Communities and local government are currently considering the Inspector's report of the public inquiry held last year into the Thameslink 2000 project. Decisions on the various applications made by Network Rail in relation to this project will be announced as soon as is reasonably possible.

Andrew George: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what expenditure on transport infrastructure schemes to support economic regeneration his Department is considering in Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly; what the schemes are; how much of the expenditure will come from public funds; and when he expects decisions to be made.

Gillian Merron: The Department is currently considering two proposals for funding transport infrastructure put forward by Cornwall to support economic regeneration. The first concerns the transfer of RAF St. Mawgan from a military civilian airport (Newquay airport). The second is a new combined freight and passenger vessel to operate between Penzance and the Isles of Scilly, plus harbour improvements at Penzance and St. Mary's.

Funding for these schemes is subject to them satisfying the Department's funding approval requirements, but currently the requested DfT contribution for each scheme is approximately£21.4 million for the airport and £26.5 million for the Isles of Scilly project. Decisions will be taken on completion of the appraisal process. We are aware of Cornwall’s’ need for a decision soon on the Newquay airport and outstanding issues are being discussed.