On "Train Enthusiasts"

Yes, I've noted the "train enthusiasts" argument - most recently in
yesterday's Independant Article (see other thread) where a National Rail Spokesman said "The only people who have been agitated about it have been the train enthusiasts,"

There's a view in certain high quarters that a "train enthusiast" is someone who stands at the end of platforms and gets in the way, trespasses on the track to get good pictures of passing trains putting himself and others in danger, and puts the case for rail forward when it's not the sensible option. The train enthusiast is typically male, is a bit scruffy, wears an anorak, doesn't mix well so is probably a bit of a loaner.

There ARE some unsavoury characters who are train enthusiasts, there are some train enthusiasts who won't look at alternatives for their own travel even when it defies all logic to go by train, and there are some train enthusiasts who will advocate poor cases. But for the most part, people who are put down as "rail enthusiasts" are well informed, putting a good case, and should and could be advocates for the services that run to the mutual financial benefit of both the Department for Transport and the service operator, and to the economic benefit of communities served.

On support from the rest of Melksham

Last September, I set up this web site, contacted two local papers and announced a meeting to discuss the threat to the train service. That's about all I did. And the room I had was packed to overflowing. "Bl***y miracle to get this many people out in Melksham" said one of the attendees.

Last November, I walked around Melksham advertising a Masked Ball in aid of three charities including a national Cancer charity, as my part of helping the organiser put bums on seats. With her agreement, I also talked "train". A few people were interested in the ball.  But the majority were interested in the train, the campaign.  They were telling me why they used or didn't use it (irregular / infrequent service, poor reliability reputation, uninviting station). Even those who were not going to be users of the service saw it as an important transport link in to and out of the town.   There were quite a number of people who didn't even know that Melksham has a station, and some "don't care"s.

Last Friday, the shadow transport minister (Chris Grayling) met our MP (Michael Ancram) at Melksham station at 11 in the morning - messy time of day, with no trains through 2 hours either way, and a weekday when so many people had to send their apologies. Never the less, there way quite a bit group there on the platform - so much so that one of the two First representatives present had to remind us to stand back from the platform edge.   A VERY impressive group - representative and officials at all levels, and with a unanymous in their condeming of the cuts as damaging, daft and illogical if the stated reasons are the real ones.  After the meeting, a poster here asked "how many people there had USED the service".  I took a deep breath fearing the worst, but when I worked it out it was a substantial proportion of those present.

I was at a Chamber of Commerce open meeting last night; concern / discussion on "is Melksham dying".  That's a related but different topic ... but it was interesting once again to see an amazement and dispair about what "they" are doing to "our" train. And to hear how, yes, so many people have been writing in / helping to the best of their resources and ability.  Alas, the inputs so often fall on deaf ears.  First told me that they had had 14 inputs on Melksham to the January consultation.  Funny, that; I know of at least 50 inputs as I asked people to copy me / let me know.

The support IS there.  I wouldn't have been helping the campaign to anything like the degree I have done if it wasn't.  As Chris Grayling said "I'm not usually one for conspiracy theories, but it does rather look as if there's something going on in this case" (From memory, that; paraphrased). Chris, I couldn't agree more. Drew, the reason you're seeing such a muted response to the suggested cuts may not be a lack of interest locally - it may be the official sponge that soaks up the input from customers who put a case that's against official policy.  It took Roger Jones of the Department for Transport from October to February to answer a letter fed through officialy by Michael Ancram.  By which time, of course, things had moved on and questions about "when the franchise is awarded" were outdated and irrellevant.

I agree that people tend to think of the sterotype 'train spotter' who get in the way when you mention rail enthusiasts, and that is to much of a generalisation as you said, people who put across a good case, well informed etc are somtimes made to be seen as the sterotypical rail enthusiast, which probably leads to their efforts not being considered.

I forgot to mention in my initial post that I am someone who supports the argument that buses are not the answer.  and that I am in complete agreement and in support of efforts made by other people and yourself to get more servcies.

How often does the draft timetable change? If its down to money, and indeed first great western I would think the moving of the train to 07:04 is probably for their convienience, but then maybe they have changed the times for some other reason?

You make a good point about doing servays properly, there are so many factors to consider and confounding variables such as you said, people may feel they have to say yes to using the train if you ask them in the street, and even if you did get 200 - 400 people to answer the servay it could be criticsed for not being generalisable to the whole of Melksham as they do not represent the average person. Would the DfT criticise such findings? If so, is there any way to critise (and for them to take notice) the statistics they use such as passenger numbers, or other statistics they use to support what they want to do, if they select data that particulary supports what they want to do and ignore other data that contradicts it, surely there is a way to highlight this?